Finally at home with the kids

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 The night he had spent with Khaleen was worth the wait and was over far too soon. She was now on her way to her runs and he had to kids to himself. They had talked of his intentions to teach the ways of the Force in further detail and while his wife was still nervous about it, she understood the wisdom of it.

This morning, after breakfast, he took the kids outside and sat them on a rock near the swamp-like forest of their little planetoid. Korto, his eldest, and Larin, the younger by three years, both were busy feeding their bogwings and so he had to clear his throat to get their attention; though he did wait a few minutes just so he could watch them and just enjoy their innocence.

"Your mother has told of the Empire, correct?"

Comments

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"Those gulls?" Korto says with bravado and disdain. "Yeah, we know all about them."

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"They may be gulls," Larin says, correcting her brother, "but they still have teeth. They can to terrible things to us if we get caught."

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Korvas smirks at his son for sounding so much like himself.

"Both of you are correct," he says though, to interrupt the fight that was brewing. "What of the Republic?"

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"The Republic tried to be good but was too big to really do its job right, so it fell to the Empire who was too strong for it," Larin says as if she were repeating a lesson.

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"No," Korto says in a superior tone, "the Empire wasn't strong, it was sneaky. The Emperor was just sneakier than the Republic. He took advantage of the Republic's size and confidence to attack and take over when they we distracted by the Separatists."

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"Okay, okay," Korvas says, impressed by what Khaleen has been teaching the kids. He'd also say they had a better understanding of the situation than he did and he lived through it! "What of the Jedi and the Force?"

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Both kids look thoughtful as they think on what they know of the Jedi and the Force.

"The Jedi were sorcerers who really didn't do much when it came down to it. They were sort of like the Republic like that." Korto says finally.

"Isn't the Force the name of the magic the Jedi used?" Larin adds. "I know some people say the Jedi were vagabonds that stole children but I don't think I believe it."

"Oh yeah," Korto replies. "They also steal anything that's not magnetically sealed!"

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Korvas pales a bit at the kids answers but they fail to notice. It's only been ten years, how could the name of the Jedi have fallen so far? Easy, propaganda and systematic murder.

"OK," he says finally, rubbing his face. "What I am about to tell you and teach you goes nowhere. You do not tell your friends, you do not talk about it at all, unless you are alone with your mother or me, in space and you are certain the ship has not been bugged. If anyone but our family hears this, the best that can happen is we get imprisoned. More likely we will be killed.

"Yes, the Republic was too large for itself. It tried to honor so many different cultures that the individual got lost sight of. The Jedi were supposed to prevent this from happening. They were the negotiators for systems, planets, or people. They were supposed to be justice for individuals when governments were too big to see them. We were supposed to keep the galaxy safe to grow and prosper and we failed because we got caught up in protecting the political Republic and lost sight of the people of the Republic."

The words rush out of him, words he had held in for too long and never had an audience for before. It is more confession that lesson and both children are speechless, caught completely off guard.

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Finally, Korto speaks up.

"Wait. 'We'?"

Larin stares at her dad, hard.

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Korvas sighs. Ops.

"Yes, I was once a Jedi. I was Quinlan VOs back then and I am still hunted. That is why we hide more than other the freelancer traders do."

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"But how did you...?" Korto starts to ask as Larin says, "Does that mean...?"

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Quin, for he is Quinlan now that he has finally told his children, holds up his hands.

"Please that is a story for another time."

"Why are you telling us this now?" Larin asks.

"Because there is every chance you two can work the Force as well and your mother and I thought it best I teach you rather than you finding out on your own. But you have to believe me, this cannot be used where anyone can see or feel you doing it. This is critical. It could mean all our deaths and more." Quin says giving them a stern eye.

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They both sit and absorb this for a minute before nodding. They've kept secrets before, even secrets that would impress their friends, so this is nothing new.

"So what is the Force?" Larin asks finally.

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"The Force is many things," Quin replies taking a seat so the true lesson can get started. "There are many theories. One says that there a minute life forms called midi-chlorians that all living being have within us, that connects us all. I disagree. If midi-chlorians are truly within all things then they are merely the symptom of the Force.

"The Force binds us together. All things, not just living. It is like an energy field and can both lead and be lead by us. If you live within the Force, it can be your greatest ally. But it is like knowing the wind or hyperspace currents. You can't see it with your eyes, it must be felt and experienced.

"Close you eyes now and focus your attention on me. I will reach out to you with the Force and I want you to just observe and be open to it."

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Things have been going well for the past few days. The kids both prove receptive to the Force and quick to study, with Larin excelling at external manipulations while Korto seemed talented with internal. Both had been able to feel their bogwings are great distances and to call them back. Both were able to feel him whether blindfolded or not and Korto even vanished once into a force cloak that startled all three of them.

Quin couldn't have been prouder.

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"Gah, this isn't fair!" Korto exclaimed, pulling Quin from his thoughts. Both children were working on lifting branches of different weights and as had happened before, Korto wasn't proving as talented as his sister.

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"What is your measure to call it unfair?" Quin asked, not able to hide his amusement.

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"I'm older and bigger and stronger. I should be able to lift a flarking branch!" Korto shouts, surprising both Quin and Larin.

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"Okay," Quin mused, pulling back his amusement and trying to decide how to address this. He knew how Master Yoda would have, even how Obi-wan would have but he decides to answer as a father. "So the Empire is right then and we should just turn ourselves over to them now."

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"What? No!" Korto said with a scowl, not quite sure if he was being mocked again. So much pride and impatience.

Larin let her branch settle to the ground so she could pay more attention to her father.

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"Well the Empire is bigger than us and stronger, so it is right. Since it is hunting us, by your logic, we are wrong and should do what the Empire wants, right?"

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Korto thought about this for a while and so Quin nodded for Larin to continue with her exercises.

"Okay, so maybe it's fair but I don't like that she can do things I can't. I want to do what she's doing!"

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"And you can," Quin replies, kneeling down in the much to be eye to eye with his son. "I want you to remember something, something very important. You too Larin. Those that are stronger or more powerful should help those that aren't and just because you can do a thing, doesn't mean you should.

"Now, I understand your struggle. I had trouble with similar skills when I was a padawan. But you have something I never had, a sister. Why don't you watch how she does it and see if you can't learn something."

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"Here, I'll try and project what I'm doing, too." Larin says with a smile. It takes a few more minutes but then Korto lifts a branch on his own and both his sister and father clap for his accomplishment.

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"I wish we could use these skills outside of secret. It'd make things easier wouldn't it?"

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"You would think that," Quin replies, "but every time you touch the Force it sends a ripple which can be felt by those that know how to feel it. We do not want a visit by the Emperor or Vader."

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"Then what's the point?" Korto says with a scowl.

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"So we learn how to control it and not have an accident where people will see it," Larin says in a tone clearing implying this is an very apparent thing.

"And we still get to use it when no one's around." She adds as she throws a glob of mud at her brother with the Force.