A few years after Order 66, in a dark room deep underground, lit by sparse electronics and candles, a group of people are hiding away. They laugh and play games where the winner takes something from the loser.
On the far side of the room there is one person sitting alone. They are curled up and looking at the ground to avoid drawing anyone’s attention. Their name is LO.
LO is dressed in fine clothes that have been provided for them by the leader of the present company.
LO hears a whisper through the crowd that seems to have no origin among the other people there. They lift their head to look out across the room.
“Follow” the whisper calls again to LO.
LO stands up. Looking through the crowd, they make their way to the hatch that leads outside. Watching them cross the room, in a chair overlooking the room, is an imposing figure dressed in dark clothing. They are the leader, called Teacher, of the people gathered in the room.
The leader’s quiet curiosity turns to shock when they see LO opening the hatch to journey outside. They are not shocked by the idea of someone needing to feel fresh air or separate themselves from the group for a time but rather by the look on LO’s face as they are being drawn to an invisible lure.
Outside the underground home, the great light is setting. The path to the water is shaded by trees from the evening rays. LO walks on the path, focusing on the voice.
“Stop.” The leader softly says, now standing a few feet from the door behind LO having pursued them. LO stops walking but keeps their face to the water. The pursuer continues. “Don’t listen to it. Come back inside.”
“I have to know.” LO objects, still not looking away from the water.
“It’s too dangerous.” The pursuer gestures for LO to return, stretching out one hand toward them and the other toward the door. LO doesn’t move. The pursuer steps closer to LO, then another person emerges from below.
Stumbling past the threshold of the doorway and onto the path, holding a blaster, is a very scared man. Their clothes are covered in shiny things and trinkets from their victories over others. “What are you doing?” They demand an answer from LO.
The pursuer turns back to the worried man, holding their hands out in a defensive position. “Go back inside. I’ve got this.”
LO takes another step, closer to the water. The pursuer quickly cries out. “Wait!”
“They’ll find us.” The worried man interjects and holds up his blaster.
“It doesn’t need to come to that.” The pursuer says trying to rationalize the situation. “LO, I’m only trying to protect you.”
“Teacher. What about the rest of us?” The worried man keeps his blaster trained on LO. “They can probably already sense us.”
The voice calls out again loud enough this time that the purser and the worried man can hear it. LO starts to walk to the water again. The pursuer shouts. “Please!” LO continues to walk, no longer able to hear the two behind them. The worried man shoots with his blaster. “NO!” The pursuer cries out in pain as they jump over to grab the blaster from the other.
LO falls into the water and sinks out of sight.
“Did you feel it? I had to.” The man looks to his leader for approval.
“Go back inside.” The leader looks to the stars in the approaching night. “We’re safe but don’t tell the others.” As the two return to their home underground, the leader, the pursuer, rests their hand on the lightsaber hit clipped to their belt.
Resting by the water, a short scruffy farmer named Teeka sees a flash flowed by screaming and a splash out in the distance. They jump into the water and swim under in the dark. Moments later, they emerge from the water carrying LO. They rush LO to their home where many others will be able to aid them.
LO wakes up with an older person sitting beside them. The elder is dressed in light colored robes and they have a very soft expression as they watch LO sit up.
“Are you a threat?” The elder asks. LO shakes their head. “Then what got you into this situation?” LO stays silent but checks their bandaged up shoulder where they had been shot. “Do you think that I’m a threat?”
The elder smiles and stands up to leave. They grab the door folds of the tent in which they have nursed LO. The elder opens the door very suddenly. “BOO!” The elder spooks two little ones that had been spying on the other side.
LO laughs in surprise.
The elder laughs a bit then turns to LO. “When you’re ready, it’s meal time. We would like it if you join us.”
“Don’t take too long.” Another person in the tent that LO had not noticed before stands up from a bucket of water where they had been washing their hands. “A cold meal will upset your stomach.” They leave the tent passing by the elder that follows them.
LO takes a look around the tent and sees the tools that were used to treat their wound lying out by the bucket. Then LO hears the voice of the elder giving thanks for their meal before many more voices start talking to one another. LO pulls themselves out of bed and makes their way to the voices.
Outside of the tent is a small assortment of traveling cases surrounding a cooking station and quickly assembled tables for the group to eat at. LO sees the elder and sits next to them.
“I heard a voice call out to me.” LO says immediately after sitting down. “I had to follow it.”
The doctor from the tent, sitting next to the elder, speaks up. “That was the force.”
“It can’t be.” Replies LO. The people at the table look at one another in confusion. “Teacher says that we were cut off from the force.”
“One does not get cut off from the force, they can only deny it.” A little one at the table says.
“But the force is dangerous. People are hunting those that use it.” LO adds.
“One does not use the force, they are guided by it. They work with it.” Another speaks up.
“What do you know about the force?” The elder asks LO.
“Not much. Just to avoid anyone who-“ LO stops before finishing the thought.
The elder looks around the camp at all the people eating and taking curious glances over at LO. “The force is in all things. It’s like energy. It’s everywhere and in all things. It flows around us and through us. It’s in the air, in me, in this table and plate, it’s also in you.” The elder points at things as they call them out, settling on pointing at LO’s heart.
The doctor leans in. “We didn’t always see it that way. We too were afraid. We thought that we could measure it and control it.”
One of the little ones speaks up again. “We learned to let it guide us. To trust in it.”
LO struggles to understand what they have been missing. “Why now?” LO asks.
“We had time.” The elder replies.
“No. Why did it call me now? Why not years ago?” LO clarifies.
“Oh. The force was always trying to guide you. Why do you think that you just now started to listen?” The elder turns the question around.
LO looks down at the table. “I was alone.”
“Alone?” Asks the elder.
“I don’t know. I didn’t feel safe.” LO searches for the answer but can’t seem to find anything they’re satisfied with.
“If you’ll let us, we can help you find that answer.” The doctor reaches out their hand on the table.
“Teach me the ways of the force.” LO looks up.
As time passes, LO talks to many members of the community. They tell LO about their pasts and how they came to meet one another. LO also learns about the force from the elder. The doctor and some others use their lightsabers to show a demonstration of trust and defense.
LO meditates alone on a rock facing the setting sun. They start to feel a connection to the force. The voice from before echoes out from them into the distance, finding its way to their old home, passing through the ground and walls until finally being heard by their old leader.
The leader is greatly disturbed by what they felt.
The elder approaches LO, interrupting the meditation. “We must go. It is time to find a new place to rest.” They both leave as the great light fades away.
Pursing LO, their old leader finds the place that had been occupied by the community. It shows signs of having been recently vacated. The pursuer looks around then up to the stars, listening for LO through the force.
LO, lagging behind the others, keeps looking back at where they had been as the group travels forward. LO can sense that the pursuer is getting closer to the group. Knowing that their old leader is only looking for them, they quietly ask the elder to keep moving without them. LO plans to confront the pursuer to keep the others safe.
The elder makes their way into the middle of the group. As the group walks on from there, a few of them dart off to the side into the shadows. LO remains unaware of the elder’s plans, instead keeping watch for the pursuer.
The pursuer marches into the darkness with steely determination. They stop upon hearing a voice bounce around them. “Here. Here I am.”
LO takes a few steps to the pursuer. The pursuer adjusts their eyes to focus into the darkness. “You are alive.” The pursuer says relived to meet the end of their quest. “All this time. I’m sorry for what happened to you.”
“You were scared.” LO says.
The pursuer extends their hand. “I was sad but I’ll feel better when you come back with me.”
“No.” LO shakes their head. “You are scared.”
“Why aren’t you? Don’t you remember what they did? They’ll never stop looking for us.” The pursuer raises their voices.
“I trust the force. It guided me here.” LO replies.
“Our power is why they hunt us.” Pursuer interjects.
“It’s not about power. It’s about harmony.” LO counters.
“Are you coming with me?” Pursuer asks.
“I won’t return to a place devoid of love.” LO turns away.
“I see. Then you leave me few options.” The pursuer draws their lightsaber and holds it up. “I won’t let them find the others because of you.” They activate their weapon.
LO stands strong, not even flinching. “Do what you think is right.”
The pursuer strides forward with their lightsaber scorching the ground beside them, lighting up the space around them. Before they get close enough to begin their attack, three figures jump out of the darkness with lightsabers drawn forming a protective barrier between the pursuer and LO.
The pursuer doesn’t stop but instead changes their target to the three. The three defend themselves from the pursuer’s swings that are intended to strike true.
LO is upset by the fighting. They start to feel the force calling to them again.
The three fighters draw the pursuer away from LO, continuing to defend against their assault. The pursuer grows frustrated in their failure to strike down the other combatants.
LO cries out. “STOP!” A shock wave of the force emanates from LO, disrupting the fight. “Stop fighting.”
“I-“ Pursuer starts to say something but hears footsteps from behind LO and stops.
“Why are you hurting each other?” The elder asks the open question. “You see LO as your family yet you now wish to destroy them. They told you that the force guided them yet you believe that you know better.”
The three defenders withdraw to the elder with their weapons deactivated. The pursuer also stands down but keeps their weapon in hand.
The elder looks at LO. “And you. You run from one darkness but find another. The force guided you to knowledge not to safety. We are all part of the force and will return to it someday. Until then, we bring the light to others.”
The elder walks up to LO and places a hand on their shoulder. LO hangs their head in shame. “I’m sorry.”
The elder shakes their head. “Wrong again but that’s okay. We learn from our failures.” The elder takes their hand off of LO’s shoulder. “Go back with your friend.” LO looks up at the elder. “Bring the light to the darkness. Teach them what you learned of the force and of love. Show them what it is to trust it, to feel it. We know what the past has brought us, where fear has lead us. We have also seen the results of trust. Don’t fall to fear.”
The pursuer once again holds out their hand to LO. LO joins the pursuer and they walk away together.
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