Chapter Text
“Rain, Rain, Uncle is back and you´ll never guess who else”. Cue, my cousin Tomcat. And I had been reading on our battered tablet so far. In Peace. Why can´t twelve-year-old boys leave a girl alone for a single hour. But I guess, a visitor is the most interesting thing happening for quite some time. I put the report of a long dead galactic explorer down. For a former child of Germany, Earth, even real live events read as intriguing as fiction in my old live. “He´s a Jedi. Do you think Uncle Root is telling him about our powers? Maybe he will take us offplanet. Is it true that there are more Jedi than beings living in our system?” Tomcat had arrived at his favorite topic, the Jedi and their adventures. I had to interrupt him before he was talking my ear off and suggested “we might as well listen in on them, if you´re that curious. By the way, has Bug returned from his fishing trip?” “Don´t think so” We both hid under the window of the kitchen and listened in on the adults. Seemed like they were arguing „You can´t take them, they´re only children. And you want to drag them into an active warzone.” I had seldomly heard our uncle that angry. “And you think the Sith would even ask that nicely when gathering gifted children?” was the only retort of the unknown visitor.” Even Rain? She´s just a child.” “You told me yourself that she was the driving force in making her cousins recognize their Force abilities.” I pulled at Tomcat´s sleeve, because I could clearly feel them nearing the door to our humble abode. We scrambled to our feet just before the door opened and uncle Root entered, accompanied by a hunched old man with balding white hair that looked to be at least seventy. He was immediately introduced to us as Master Torr, Jedi Master and recruiter for the Army of Light.
Fun fact: our planet, apparently called Somov Rit, had a rough population of only 20000 souls, and we were living in the middle of desolate swampland. Visiting the next, and only town as a family twice or thrice a year was the only time we kids left our isolated farm. If you dream of getting reborn into the Star Wars universe, you´d usually expect to be somehow closer to the plot and canon events. As it was, it took me years to notice where exactly I ended up. Our access to high-end technology was very limited, and we only irregularly got news of galactic events. As soon as my comprehension of Basic and Aurebesh got proficient enough to read up on the news that did arrive, I noticed some irregularities. A Jedi as chancellor, a Republican army composed of volunteers as well as career soldiers and, most obviously, open war against hordes of Sith, when there are supposed to be only two of them. I still wasn´t sure if I was far removed from the canon timeline, like in the video games or if it was some kind of parallel universe to canon instead. Why is nobody talking about the reckoning system of years before ABY existed? It was even more impossible to figure out which version of the galaxy is of relevance to me: Classical EU or Disney stuff?
Uncle Root gathered us in the dry area behind our home the moment Bug arrived and explained to us again how our mysterious visitor was an esteemed Jedi master and planned to recruit us for their cause, as long as rumors about our abilities proved true. I was at the same time elated and worried. I had experimented with my rudimentary force abilities as soon as I noticed unusual perceptions and feelings not inherent to old me, often to my caregiver´s chagrin. Really, who in my situation wouldn´t? I could certainly pass the requirements and have access to Jedi training . On the other hand I suddenly felt the urge to hide my abilities and fail out. Of course, I had hoped for anything special happening in my life, but fighting in a war before hitting puberty was not in my lifeplans. Even without personal experience of war and its consequences, I knew it was always a reason to be scared.
The Jedi recruiter showed us a pile of small stones and asked the boys to move them without touch. I caught his indecisive, uncomfortable glances in my direction, presumably because of my age and diminutive stature. I was still only nine years old, short and tiny for my age, standing at just below 130cm. Overall, I appeared to be a vulnerable kid and you could easily mistake me to be even younger.
Bug closed his eyes in concentration and moved two of the stones, one after another, for several meters. He grinned proudly, confident in his chances to leave the planet soon. When it was Tomcat´s turn, he obviously struggled to move even one small pebble. I didn´t expect that. In training (aka playing little force games I invented) he was always the most eager and could at least keep up with his male cousin. If he failed out now, it really wouldn´t be fair.
”It is futile, boy. Let your cousin try.” the Jedi Master shook his head. Tears started to well up in Tomcat´s eyes. Everybody knew that becoming a Jedi knight was his big dream and he will never forgive himself for missing his only opportunity, especially if we others get to do it and he has to stay. In that moment I had another reason to downplay my abilities, to stay home with him, so that he is not as crushed as otherwise. But I could also not leave Bug to face being a child soldier all alone… I was pulled from my musings by aforementioned cousin speaking up angrily: “Give him another damn chance! Ask Rain that he´s better than me at this Force stuff” Considering the way they were arguing all the time, I was glad for this proof that my cousins actually cared for each other and nodded energetically. When Tomcat struggled to move the stones for a second time, I tried to project encouraging thoughts in his direction, even though we never figured out proper telepathy. You can do it, just think of playing around with a ball. You even managed to hit a moving target wearing a blindfold. Damn, this is your chance of a lifetime!
My thoughts focused on what it felt like to coax a stationary object into moving. As if Tomcat noticed my support, the pebble started shaking and slowly rose above the ground. After some nerve-wrecking moments, Master Torr commented ”well enough”.
Now all eyes were on me. I gulped and focused on the small pile of stones left. I had done this hundreds of times before. They obeyed my command without much difficulty, so whatever troubles Tomcat had, they didn´t affect my performance. I caught three of the stones in invisible hands and let them circle around the instructor. “Apparently someone trained already” was the recruiter´s gruff reaction, but I got the impression that he wasn´t happy about me succeeding. Is he getting qualms about enlisting minors, not to talk prepubescent children? On the other hand, I might just project.
What had I gotten myself into now?
After the announcement that we will leave for the capital in two hours, we all started to gather our meagre belongings. I only owned a few sets of workclothes, mostly hand-me-downs from older relatives or stitched by our uncle. Currently, I was wearing blue kneelength trousers, held in place by a strap over one shoulder, and a threadbare linen blouse two sizes too big underneath. Due to the omnipresent muck and the warm climate, I did not own shoes at all. I also gathered a hairbrush, towel, washcloth and other sanitary utensils. Last, I packed a thin blanket and a raincoat (essentially a plane with a hole for the head) and wondered if I was allowed to bring the tablet we kids had to share. It served as a computer, ebook and my diary at the same time. I tried to stay optimistic about the availability of power and holonet in a warcamp.
When I had closed my bag, I entered the kitchen to hear Bug make fun of his younger cousin: “what are you gonna do with that, stab a Sith in the heel?” Tomcat made a face in his direction and stubbornly put a sharp kitchen knife in his own backpack. I ignored their squabbling and added a blank metallic water bottle as well as some nutrition bars and crackers to my collection. I decided to pack some of our homegrown fruit, fresh and dried, too. Last, I remembered to pack a basic first aid kit. It never hurt to be prepared.