章 2: Blockage
It was nighttime on Coruscant, though not that anyone on the lower levels could tell. The artificial light had been their sun for thousands of years and it would be from the day they were born till the day they died. However, in the slums, there were frequent power outages as not many technicians would be willing to go somewhere so dangerous to fix the lights for a bunch of degenerates.
Jaden tried to drown out the sound of people screaming in anger, pain and fear. He tried to drown out the sound of creatures tearing into flesh and hunting down animals. But most of all he tried to frown out the fear and pain he currently felt, however, it all proved to be too much and he snapped out of his meditation as all of those feelings came rushing back and more.
"Concentrate, you must let go of your feelings of fear and pain as they lead to anger and hate," Satele said as she instructed Jaden.
Jaden found himself getting frustrated once more "My entire body is broken I can't help but feel pain, what else do you expect me to feel!" He shouted at her with anger dripping from his voice.
Satele sighed "You must calm yourself Jaden, if you learn to access the force through anger and pain you'll end up feeling that way your whole life," she said sagely as her holographic hand hovered above his head "Try again." She said. Jaden sighed but nodded as he closed his eyes and tried to meditate.
"Meditation is the first thing a Youngling must learn."
"While all of them have a sensitivity to the force they must deepen that connection."
Jaden felt the breath leave his body as he tried to focus and let himself meditate, it was hard as he had never done something like this and deep down he found it all a bit stupid.
"Focus Jaden, the force connects everything around us and once you're connected you will feel it."
For what seemed like hours Jaden meditated and yet he felt no closer to grasping the concepts that Satele had explained than when he began, when he meditated and tried to drift out to feel his connection to the force he found nothing, it was just an empty void like an absence of everything. Suddenly he was knocked out of his meditative state by a shooting pain in his chest, he opened his eyes and started coughing "Jaden!" Satele said with concern as black blood was spluttering out of his mouth.
"Jaden speak to me! Are you okay!" Satele said as she kneeled next to him. Jaden had to roll onto his side and spit out the blood that had filled his mouth "I'm most definitely... not okay," he said as he let his head hit the ground.
"There's no point in doing this... you were wrong I'm not a Jedi I can't use the force." He said as he coughed a bit more, it was getting harder to breathe and it wasn't because of the thick smog in the slums. Jaden couldn't help but feel like this was a fitting end for him, he'd seen many people like him fight and die in the slums and he would just be another one of the nameless thousands that try to make it out of here and die trying.
"Jaden you must clear your mind of doubt it only hampers your ability and will increase your frustration," Satele stated as she tried to refocus him.
Jaden took a deep breath "I can't focus on this ridiculous belief that I can be a Jedi, I need to figure out a different plan before something finds me or I die of thirst." He said as he tried rolling onto his side.
Satele looked at Jaden with concern "Jaden how do you expect to achieve anything when you are full of doubt, Younglings can take weeks to fully realise their connection, you must be patient." She stated.
"I don't have weeks I have days!" He shouted at her as he started coughing again.
"I know but I believe that you have a strong enough connection to the force to master it, it's only yourself that is getting in your way." She explained calmly.
"I haven't done anything, I've felt nothing, how can you tell me that I have such a strong connection when I don't feel it myself." He asked.
Satele smiled softly at him "Only a force user can open a Holocron, the fact you've been able to keep it open this long without any focus shows how powerful you are and that you are capable of doing this," However as soon as the words left her mouth the realisation caused his conscious mind to take over and the Holocron closed and Satele disappeared.
"Shit..."
Jaden couldn't help but laugh self-depreciatingly, he was exactly the type of person to stand in his way... he'd try it one more time and if he couldn't do it then he'd move on and start trying to figure out another way out of here. Jaden closed his eyes took a deep breath and tried to push away the pain and fear he felt at the moment but it was difficult this whole situation was terrifying, he was on the cusp of death he needed help but there was no one... just like always.
'Please work.' He thought to himself as he slipped deeper and deeper into his meditation. He once again found himself in a void so dark that it felt as if nothing existed, he tried to sense around for what Satele had described to him but it was all for naught there was nothing but darkness. At least in this meditative trance, he was able to drift alone in the void unable to feel the pain or fear that had come so close to overwhelming him.
'I'm going to die...'
'What did I even live for...'
'I've lived my life trying to escape but then what...'
....
'No...'
'I won't give up until I'm dead!'
*Crack*
Jaden felt a sort of crack form in the void 'What the kriff,' he thought to himself but the more amazing thing was that he could finally sense something, it wasn't much but it was something. He focused on the feeling 'Is this the force?' He thought to himself as it felt like a light breeze being blown through a tube onto his face. However Jaden's elation didn't last long as the metaphorical crack started to seal itself up, Jaden quickly focused and in his mind tried to apply pressure to the crack.
The crack stopped sealing itself but it was as if it was trying to fight back against him, Jaden tried to push back harder but was met with even more resistance 'This can't be natural,' he thought to himself as he struggled to open the crack. He hated this, his mind was his most important asset and it felt like he didn't have any control, he started to push as hard as he could and the cracks were starting to grow wider but all of a sudden an overwhelming pressure set on his mind.
It was a combination of anger and hatred, Jaden had never felt such a sinister malevolent force in his entire life. It made him feel like he was praying and the only thing protecting him from whatever was out there was the void surrounding him. He very much wanted to curl into a ball and hide or snap himself out of this trance but he had a feeling that if he gave in now it would be the end and he wouldn't get another chance. So he pushed back with everything he had and the crack continued to grow in size until he could see the light shine through the void, though whatever was projecting the malevolent intent was not happy about this and its rage intensified. Jaden who had felt no pain up until this point felt like screaming, he knew he was in his mind at the moment but it felt like his whole body was on fire and like he was being shocked as well.
'AHHHHH,' Jaden shouted as he pushed through the pain and continued making the crack bigger until finally something gave away and a piece of the void that encased him shattered making a small hole, half a second later this gave way to a cascade effect where the entire void shattered.
When the crack had first appeared it felt like a pleasant breeze being blown towards him. Now he felt like he was in the centre of a storm, the darkness that had covered his vision before was replaced by a kaleidoscope of colours that swirled around him like a hurricane, it was exhilarating. He didn't need to be told what this was as in his heart he already knew, this was the force.
It felt like he'd been living his entire life without an arm or leg, but now that it's been returned to him he can't imagine feeling any other way. Jaden now attempted to do what Satele had tried to teach him and deepen his connection to the force, as he sought to form a connection the force almost seemed eager to do so as well.
*BOOM*
Jaden's eyes opened and he was knocked out of his meditative trance, his connection had managed to blow away everything in his radius even blowing up the small shack he'd fallen into, he was now in the middle of a crater with no cover. He looked around himself and cursed, but the good news was he could feel the force, whatever was blocking his connection was gone.
*kikikikkkikikikikiki*
Jaden turned his head and saw around a dozen hive rats who must've felt the vibrations from the explosion. Jaden looked around in a panic for the power cell, he didn't know why but his gaze seemed to be guided in a certain direction, and under a pile of metal rubble, he saw the red glow of the cell he was looking for. He stretched his hand out 'This is what Jedi do right?' He thought to himself as he focused on what he wanted, the only thing echoing in his mind was to pull the damn power cell to him and to his surprise it worked, it started rolling towards him at a speed that increased as fast as his desperation did.
Once it got to his hand he grabbed it though he had to grit his teeth as his body was still in a lot of pain. However he didn't have any time, he pushed through the pain and with his teeth he ripped out the defective power core before spitting it out and placing the new one inside. It took a few seconds but the lights turned on and SD8 finally woke up.
SD8 was special and was probably one of the most genius inventions Jaden had ever made, he was created from numerous interconnecting small parts which allowed him to take numerous different shapes. He could be quadruped or bipedal, and he could also divert more material into each limb or its body to make it more effective in different tasks, Jaden had also constructed a multitude of other tools that SD8 could make use of, that combined with a top tier computer core that he'd stole and SD8 was a damn useful droid.
*BEEP*
"SD, Attack mode: Seek and Destroy," Jaden commanded.
"Beep Beep," SD8's head emerged from his body, when powered down SD8 receded into its own body forming a shape similar to a cube. SD8 started scanning with its rectangular eyes until it focused in on the hive rats. Four spider-like limbs formed out of each corner of its body and two arms from at each side with small blaster pistols imbedded.
SD8 started to open fire on the hive rats as its body scuttled along the ground in front of its master as it cut down the rodents with its blasters. Jaden felt himself finally relax as SD8 wiped out all the rodents, after he slaughtered the last of the hive rats and chased off the others he went back to check on his master "Beep Boop Boop Beep."
Jaden laughed though it quickly turned into a cough "SD hit me with a stim, then go into Sentry Mode," he ordered.
SD8 complied and from the centre of its body a needle emerged filled with a green liquid, the needle went into Jaden's arm and he groaned in relief as it managed to suppress some of the pain he was feeling "Thanks... SD." Jaden said as he found himself drifting off, the last thing he saw was SD8 stretching his spider-like limbs over Jaden as his body scanned the environment continuously looking for threats.
———————————————————
In a nicely decorated office overlooking the overcity of Coruscant a man slowly got up from the ground, his head throbbed with pain and blood slowly pooled on the floor from his nose, while he looked calm and collected on the outside nothing further could be from the truth. Beneath the surface rage and hatred bubbled beneath, for he had just been reminded of one of the mistakes both he and his old master made.
He felt the pulse that emanated across the force and if he felt it then it would be almost certain that the Jedi did as well. He had not felt such a strong force sensitivity in a long time, not since Anakin Skywalker. And to think this came from a failed experiment that should've been left to die in the gutter.
The man sat back down at his desk, while he could bring this old experiment back into the fold it would be too risky, plans that he had been laying down for decades had finally started gaining traction, so did not want to bring an unstable variable into the mix.
Best to eliminate it before it causes any problems.
———————————————————
Grandmaster Yoda felt slightly dizzy and almost fell over when he felt the shockwave in the force, as someone who is deeply connected to the force he is more sensitive to it than most giving him a unique insight into how it flows.
"Master Yoda, are you okay?" Mace Windu asked as he knelt and put his arm on his good friend.
"Fine, I am, though trouble there may be." Yoda said as he composed himself.
"Force user in trouble they may be, send Jedi to pick them up we must." He stated.
It was just then that Master Windu felt the same wave in the force that Yoda did and so he nodded "I'll make sure to send someone immediately." Master Windu said before heading off in a different direction allowing Yoda to his own thoughts.
———————————————————
Jaden woke up wit a groan he looked up and saw that he was still alive which was good, his body ached a lot less though he was still in pain "Beep wee boop beep."
"I've been out four days?" Jaden said as he tried to push himself up it was a lot easier to move so he guessed that SD8 was continued his treatment of stim injections though if his memory served him correct he didn't have that many left. His gaze drifted down and he saw that at some point SD8 must've grabbed the holocron from wherever he'd pushed it. He hoped he wouldn't have too much trouble trying to open it again but as soon as he touched it the holocron started to flow and it opened again with Satele appearing shortly after.
"Jaden I am glad to see you are okay, though I cannot say I didn't expect this outcome," she said with a smile.
Jaden chuckled "Is that your way of saying I told you so?"
"Well I suppose I did-"
"You don't have to say it!" Jaden said with exasperation "Though it would've been easier if you'd told me I had to break out of the shell in order to even feel the force, to be honest though I'm just glad I'm alive," he continued though as he spoke he realised that Satele had not said anything and in fact she was looking at him with great concern on her face.
"Jaden... tell me what happened, do not miss out any details," she said firmly.
Jaden complied and told her what he had experienced in his meditative trance from the void cracking to the ominous presence that had weighed down on his mind to finally breaking free and feeling like he was at the centre of a storm. As he spoke Satele's concern grew greater and greater until she was certain that she knew what had occurred.
"It seems that's someone put a block on your connection to the force, something very dangerous." She explained.
After seeing Jaden's questioning look she decided to explain further "While force users have been known to severe their connection or even other people's connection to the force it is never truly severed, there will always be a connection and in time it will heal... but a block on someone's connection is downright evil, the force speaks and interacts with a force sensitives body... to cut them off from that I cannot imagine the pain someone would feel." She explained.
Jaden looked slightly confused "I can't say I felt any pain before." He stated and Satele shook her head.
"You were lucky you never truly connected with the force otherwise such a block would be agony, but more importantly the person who is responsible for the block is most likely aware you've removed it. It was his presence you must've felt while attempting to break free." She replied.
Jaden sighed before sitting up, he checked his body over though most importantly his legs they didn't feel broken anymore but were still in a lot of pain "SD got any more Stims?" He asked.
"Boop boop,"
"You don't have to say it like that," Jaden said as he felt out the rest of his body. It seems the stims had managed to heal his broken bones but not fully, he felt quite a few fractures a lot his legs and ribs "Might I suggest meditation Jaden," Satele chimed in.
Jaden rolled his eyes "Satele I don't have time for that now, I need to get out of here before whoever that guy was figured out where I am." He stated.
"Then it seems I shall have to teach you while we move," she replied.
Jaden pushed himself off the ground but as he tried to stand he fell back down to the ground again groaning in pain "Jaden, focus on your connection and let it fill you, feel the force strengthen your body." Satele advised.
Jaden followed her instructions and focused on his connection, while at first he had felt nothing now it was the opposite. He felt like he was standing in front of a star that he was able to draw power from, it was surreal. As he drew on the connection and felt it fill his body he felt his strength return and he immediately stood up with a wide grin on his face.
"Be careful Jaden, while it may seem you have healed you have not, the force is merely augmenting your body, you will not be able to hold it forever." Satele warned.
Jaden nodded but didn't really consider her words 'Is this what Jedi feel like all the time." He thought to himself "SD we are leaving," Jaden said, and the little droid reconstructed itself going out of attack mode and into traversal.
Jaden started moving through the slums while SD8 climbed on his back, he stepped over the multitude of hive rats that had been killed by SD8. He was glad he had gotten out of here when he did, another day and he might've had to eat one of the rats which he can say from experience is really not good.
"Jaden do you know where you are going?" Satele asked.
"Nope..."
(AN: Ugh words cannot do justice how much I don't like this chapter, I literally took hours on trying to figure out how to make it interesting but the whole thing is just not interesting anyway now that it's over chapter 3 onwards will be better I hope. Also for any lore masters out there I'll be taking some liberties with how the force is used or sometimes explained so no need to write the four paragraph essay explaining why I'm wrong, anyway hope you enjoyed the chapter I'm going to sleep now)
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