milliways_bar | Happy New All Skate!

"You know what, let's have a party."

Dinah threw her platinum card (thanks, Oracle) on the Bar and as a result there is free flowing champagne for everyone whose culture, age and religion permits champagne - and top quality soft alternatives for the rest. There are bar snacks doing the rounds around the tables, and delicate winter flower arrangements on each surface.

And most importantly, on the TV screen is a lot of dancing, a giant countdown, and a big ball ready to drop.

...and when the ball drops, something happens.

Welcome to another Milliways All-Skate!
All welcome - yes, that means all. Whether they're retired, deleted, AU, original or already being played by someone else, bring 'em along.

Usual all-skate rules apply:
1. Everyone's stressed out of their mind right now, so have fun!
2. Communication is key.
3. Gratuitous behaviour (either of a violent or sexual nature) will not be tolerated in the bar proper. Take that to an OOM, and then Content Warning the hell out of it before you link it.
4. Much like Vegas, what happens in All Skates, stays in All Skates (in most cases)
5. Please don't be a dick.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Do you have a lot of brothers? Can they do other things? Are they also connected to the Force?"

That could be something like what allows Charles to read minds and Raven to shapeshift. He knows there's new science in the world, but Warlock's also clearly from somewhere else with different rules. Though they might be similar enough to be helpful.

"Yes, sort of, and everyone's connected to the Force," says Warlock. "But no they're not sensitive like me.

"Do you know what a clone is?"

It's always a good place to start.

"Yes, an exact replica created by copying genetic material. I know there are some plants that clone themselves but I don't think my world has the science to create clones yet. There's still too much we don't know about genetics,"

Charles wants to ask more about the Force but he also wants to know about clones, that at least has as scientific bases that he understands.

"Okay, well, I'm a clone."

He gives Charles a thought again, the mental image of thousands of exact replicas of Warlock, first back on Kamino where they're all the same age, then a snapshot of ranks of full grown men in identical helmets, seen from a vantage point of above in a transport ship.

"But I'm the only one who's also a Jedi."

Charles reaches for a chair and sits at that image of all those clones and in helmets. It makes him think of newsreels from D-Day but the scale seems greater, "Are you at war?"

Warlock is surprised - when war is literally all you know you forget it can have that effect.

"Yeah," he says. "That's why I was made."

"How long has the war been going on? Who made you? A war ended in my world about ten years ago,"

And then before that there was the Great War, both of them left a lot of scars and pain.

"Two years," says Warlock, "and the Kaminoans, who were commissioned by the Galactic Republic.

"And yeah, I wasn't made two years ago. It was just expected that a war was coming and the clones would be needed."

Charles takes a drink as he thinks about all of that, "Who are you fighting?"

"The Separatists," sasy Warlock. "Who tried to break the Republic apart - but it's more than that. They're led by dark Force users - we call them Sith."

Again, because it's easier to show than explain, he offers an image of Asajj Ventress, two red lightsabers flashing, in a duel in which Warlock was luckily to escape with his life.

He startles and the focuses on the image of that fight, "Do they choose to be Dark?"

Charles sees his telepathy as part of him, the Force seems to work another way.

Warlock shakes his head. "It's complicated. Anyone can turn, if they're not careful. The Force feeds your emotions. If you have too much hate in you, it overwhelms you. But we know the dangers, so we can choose not to go down that path."

"How do you do that?"

Charles is always aware of the pull of other minds and the danger of getting lost in them and their emotions.

"Meditation," Warlock says cheerfully. "So much meditation. And trying to avoid things that lead to the bad stuff - attachments, acting on anger, giving into fear, that kind of thing."

"Meditation, I think I've done something like that. It must be hard," None of those things are easy to avoid.

"It takes a lot of work," he admits. "But it's worth it, in the end."

"What's the best part of being a Jedi?" Being one clearly suits Warlock.

"Apart from the awesome powers?"

Which are pretty awesome.

Warlock glances around the bar. "Probably the Force itself. Feeling connected to everyone, but especially my brothers."

Charles smiles, he gets that, "Connection is one of the best feelings."

"Is that what it feels like for you?" Warlock asks.

"Yes, I mean it can also be a lot when I go to the City, New York City where there are a big population lives together, but I know I'm never really alone,"

Which is something that he's always been aware of and sometimes still feels alone.

"You should try Coruscant," Warlock says. "A planet that's a whole city."

"How does that work?" He's having a hard time picturing that.

Warlock just shakes his head, smiling in slight exasperation of how hard it is to explain anything to Earthers.

"Here," he says, and summons up pictures of Coruscant - of thee Temple, of the Republic Centre for Military Operations where his brothers live, the Senate building, the busy multilayered streets between them, of the species diversity and the nightlife, and a quick shot of 79s, the clone bar. All carefully selected and presented in the hope that it won't be too much of a shock

Charles shares in return an image of the New York City he knows from the almost gilded Upper West Side to the business of Penn Station and Grand Central, the nightlife of Harlem and the bohemian feel of Chelsea, "Sorry, this is what I'm used to. So many people and species. Are there any species that are stronger in the Force?"

Re: Age 19 or so

twoforce - 2021-01-13 20:58 (UTC) - Expand

balancingminds - 2021-01-13 21:02 (UTC) - Expand

twoforce - 2021-01-13 21:16 (UTC) - Expand

balancingminds - 2021-01-13 21:25 (UTC) - Expand

twoforce - 2021-01-13 21:27 (UTC) - Expand

balancingminds - 2021-01-13 21:30 (UTC) - Expand

twoforce - 2021-01-13 21:39 (UTC) - Expand

balancingminds - 2021-01-13 21:41 (UTC) - Expand

twoforce - 2021-01-13 21:51 (UTC) - Expand

balancingminds - 2021-01-13 22:08 (UTC) - Expand