Jedi Temple, Coruscant, 40 BBY
It turned out my horns supercharged my ability to sense with the Force. This was a huge boon in many ways, but my ability to sense the thoughts and feelings of others was simply too strong. After a week, it had developed enough that I could hear the surface thoughts of everyone in the temple.
I spent most of my first three years at the Temple learning to restrict the incoming sensations. It had gotten better, and now I didn’t sense people’s thoughts unless they were in my immediate area or I was actively trying to hear them. I still had a constant influx of feelings, but I had an easier time filtering them out and separating them from my own.
Even though I technically wasn’t allowed, I often walked the halls of the Temple at night to get some solitude. The crèche was full of younglings with very loud thoughts. While that made for a good place to practice control, it was hard to relax there.
One evening, I spotted someone I recognized on my stroll through the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Count Dooku. Well, he was still Master Dooku at this point, and my plans to change the fate of the Jedi included making sure he stayed a Master of the Order rather than becoming the Sith leader of the Separatists.
As far as I knew, the main factors that made him lose faith in the order were: the Battle of Galidraan, which had taken place before my birth. The death of Qui-gon Jinn, which I couldn’t do anything about until the Invasion of Naboo. And the fall of his Padawan, Komari Vosa. Said Padawan was walking beside him, smiling happily as she listened to him talk.
Komari Vosa was a beautiful young woman. She had angled features, blue eyes, and short, blonde hair; a Padawan braid dangling on her shoulder. I knew one of the reasons for the expulsion that led to her fall was her infatuation with her Master. Somewhere beneath her understandable admiration, there was indeed a less appropriate feeling of affection.
In my opinion, the rule against attachments was one born of fear and thus had no place in the Jedi Code; fear led to the Dark Side after all. Cautioning against it and warning about the potential consequences was well and good, but straight-up disallowing it was both counterproductive and an exercise in futility.
I was still only three years old, and I wasn’t sure how much influence I could exercise on the events of the galaxy at the moment, but I had to at least try. So with that thought in mind, I adjusted my course so I would encounter them.
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“Good evening Masters,” I said with an appropriately respectful bow when we got closer to each other.
Dooku eyed me with some surprise as he replied. “Good evening Initiate. I was under the impression that younglings were supposed to stay in the crèche at this time of night. May I ask why you are not?”
“Your impression is correct, Master, we are. But I think the caretakers have given up trying to chase me down and decided just to scold me when I get back instead.” This close, it was impossible for me not to see their thoughts. Dooku was both amused and annoyed at my response, while Vosa was fighting hard to prevent herself from bursting out in laughter. “As to why, the crèche is loud with voices and feelings and thoughts, and the Room of a Thousand Fountains is much more interesting.”
“I see…” Dooku was seemingly at a loss for words but collected himself quickly. “And is disregarding the wishes of your caretakers something you do often, Initiate…?”
“...Skywalker, Master,” I replied with a slight grimace. “Initiate Anita Skywalker.”
I had apparently been found in an artificial womb on a derelict ship drifting in space. Because of this, the Jedi caretakers of the Temple decided to give me the last name ‘Skywalker’. I didn’t know how I felt about my name being nearly identical to a certain boy who would be almost the same age as me, but I could do nothing about it. I suspected Force shenanigans were the cause, for most of it, especially since my midi-chlorian count was also over twenty thousand.
“And not often,” I continued in a conversational tone. “Only when I want to do something they disagree with.”
Vosa was having some serious difficulty containing her laughter at this point. At first, she had felt annoyed at having her alone time with her Master interrupted, but now it seemed like I had a new fan.
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Dooku was more perplexed than anything. Younglings being unruly was not a rare thing, even in the Jedi Temple, but having one be so calm and forthcoming about their transgressions seemed to be a new experience for him.
“I see,” He said after needing a few moments to compose himself. “I am Master Dooku, and this is my Padawan, Komari Vosa. It has been a pleasure to meet a promising, if… unusual, Initiate like you, but I think it is time for you to return to the crèche. Komari, would you please escort young Skywalker back to her caretakers?”
She nodded, not seeming to trust herself to speak as I replied. “Master Dooku, Padawan Vosa. It has been a pleasure to meet you as well.”
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Vosa walked with me in silence until we were out of earshot of Dooku, and then she finally burst out laughing.
“You’re awesome!” She exclaimed. “I have never seen Master Dooku that confused before! And how does a kid like you even know how to talk like that!? You sounded like a diplomat discussing the weather!”
I tapped my chin in thought as Vosa kept giggling, before answering her as honestly as I felt I could.
“Since I first woke up in the nursery three cycles ago, I have been able to sense the thoughts of everyone in the Temple,” I explained. “Whether because of my species or personal talent, I have an extreme affinity for Force Senses. Every time someone here learned something new or had an insight, a part of what they learned reached me. It’s not a substitute for learning something personally, but it helps.”
“Wait,” She stopped and I could feel her shock and a bit of panic. She was worried I had seen her feelings for Dooku, which, if I hadn’t known about them already, I certainly would now. “Are you reading my mind now?”
“I’m sorry.” I sighed dejectedly. “I’ve been practicing, but when we’re this close I can’t stop it. I’ve sworn to never speak of any secrets I learn, if that makes you feel any better.”
“Even if someone is breaking the Code?” It was impressive how quickly I had made her go from boisterous and happy to meek and scared. Sometimes I really hated this ability.
I scoffed. “If I tried to report everyone I can sense breaking the Code, I wouldn’t have any free time. Were someone in danger of falling to the Dark Side I might try to intervene, having a crush on your Master is hardly enough to cause that. If anything, your fear of having your feelings discovered is more dangerous.
“No one is around to hear, I checked,” I added when she started to look around in panic.
She was starting to calm down a bit now, although her thoughts were still racing between worry that I wouldn’t keep my word and curiosity about who was breaking the Code and how. This made me think about how to approach the real reason she was at risk of being expelled from the order; she was no good at controlling her emotions.
I hesitated before speaking cautiously. “Padawan Vosa, I’m sorry. It might not be the place of an Initiate to comment on the training of a Padawan, but you need to practice controlling your emotions.”
She winced at that, feeling a little ashamed as memories of her Master telling her exactly the same thing flashed through her thoughts. That feeling quickly turned to indignation at having an Initiate criticize her, before returning to shame as she realized I was right.
Her mind raced through frustration, hopelessness, and self-pity in a second before settling on resignation.
“I know. Master Dooku has told me before, many times.” She deflated even more and sighed before asking. “How do you do it? You must be a master at it if you can manage having the thoughts of the entire Temple swirling around up there.”
This time it was my turn to wince. “With great effort,” I answered. “My affinity is for sensing emotions, not controlling them. I spend nearly all my time practicing but still run away from the crèche to get some peace whenever possible.” I gave her a teasing smirk before adding. “You might be the only person in the Temple with louder thoughts than the other younglings.”
The playful remark lifted her mood slightly as she made a short self-deprecating laugh before she got a thoughtful expression. I smiled when I sensed what she was about to suggest.
“Say, you need someone to practice with, and I need someone to give me pointers. How about we help each other out and practice together?” She sounded a bit nervous like she was afraid I would reject her. It was a needless worry.
“Yes!” I answered, almost before she was finished talking. “I would love that, Padawan Vosa!”
At this, her mood brightened significantly. “‘Komari’ is fine.” She said with a smile. “I’ll come pick you up tomorrow, okay?”
We had reached the crèche by now.
“Okay! Thank you Komari, I’ll see you tomorrow!”
As I entered the crèche, preparing for the scolding to come, I felt better than I had since I was reborn. Finally, I had an opportunity to spread some butterflies and start changing destinies!