Convergence (Star Wars: The High Republic)

by Zoraida Córdova

“In order to save me, save all of us, and get back to the ship, the Jedi Knight had to drag me with her abilities.” Axel cleared his throat, and Gella sensed that armor of his going back up. How much effort did he spend doing that every single day? “Then once again when I tried to turn the ship around. After that, I passed out from exhaustion. When I woke up, she told me it was the will of the Force. And then she just walked away and discussed a cargo manifest like nothing had happened. Like they hadn’t made me leave my father behind to die.” Was that why he’d asked, Why didn’t you fight me for the parachute? Had he thought she would have left him behind? Gella wanted to comfort him, but the words she would have said were the ones he hated. It was the will of the Force, the way it was the will of the Force that they would find each other sitting there together. Instead she placed her hand on top of his. He stared at it like he couldn’t make sense of the gesture. Like he was expecting her to be defensive, not this. “I have perspective now,” he said. “You know, I saw that Jedi Knight again. She didn’t even remember me. Why would she? What is one grieving boy in a galaxy full of them?” “Everything,” Gella found herself saying.