PURPOSE | The Mandalorian

IX

I closed my eyes, exhaling a deep breath. I shouldn't go trying to access the Force. I had no training, no guidance, no nothing. And the Force didn't seem like something you should play around with just because you felt like it.

Well, maybe I could just try to tap into it. Just for a moment. How difficult could it be?

I glanced down at the child, who had nearly finished his bread by now. I poked him gently with my finger. "Wanna see something cool?"

He tilted his head to the side and made a high pitched noise. Sounded like a yes to me.

"Alright, kid. Here we go."

I closed my eyes again, focusing on keeping my mind clear of any distractions. I only searched for the Force and the way it ebbed and flowed around everything in the galaxy. If I could connect myself with it again, maybe I could control it enough to make one of the rocks from across the path float to my hand.

I blocked out everything. The sweltering mid-day heat, the battle tonight, and the nagging dread of forging my saber. I casted it all away, keeping myself only in the present moment and reaching out for the Force.

My fingers began to tingle again, more noticeable now than it was before. I could barely catch glimpses of the current of the Force around me. It flowed through the wooden houses of the village, it weaved between the leaves of the forest, and it raged through the kid sitting next to me. It was like a mini hurricane the way it swirled and crashed around him. The feeling kept my mind off balance, and I wondered why it was so strong around him.

The Force continued to flow around us and I realized it was like a river. The current was weak in some places, begging for someone or something to give it a command. It was asking to be told what to do, and it was a struggle not to give into its wishes. In other places, the current was strong and chaotic, with a mind of its own. It was flowing wild and free, and only someone with immense training or strong power could bend its will and command it.

Luckily, the current around the rocks was light, and weaving myself into it was fairly simple. Once I had wrapped my mind around it, it begged me for a command. And I gave it one.

Come.

I reached my palm out, opening my eyes but still keeping my concentration fiercely on the rocks. The pile began to quiver and shake until the rock on top lifted itself and slowly floated across the path until it rested lightly in my hand. The surface was warm and smooth, collecting heat from the mid-day sun.

I looked over to the child again, who was staring at me intently, it's ears twitching up and down. It was like he was saying cool trick!

I smiled down at him and said, "Yeah I know, it is pretty cool."

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The sun had begun to set after another long session of training during the afternoon and evening. Eventually, some of the villagers got good enough with a blaster that Din gave them a satisfactory pat on the back, promoting them to the bigger guns he brought. He told them that they'd be stationed on top of the small towers that the building crew had formed, which means they'd have the higher ground once the raiders broke through the trees. It would make picking them off much easier for someone who was a half decent shot.

I mostly helped Cara teach staff, but once the villagers seemed to have most of the steps down, I moved onto the building crew, helping them build the wall and some of the towers. Digging the rest of the trench was the worst, my back definitely feeling the repercussions of it.

Now Din, Cara, and I were walking around the krill pools. Cara seemed to be inspecting the wall, pushing against some spots where it looked weak, but it held firm. "You did a good job with this wall, Mando," She called back to me as she shoved fairly hard against it.