Peter Parker was currently experiencing an overwhelming whirlwind of conflicting emotions—fear, wonder, surprise, excitement, guilt, homesickness, and curiosity all swirled together in his mind like a chaotic storm that left him feeling emotionally exhausted and uncertain.
The intensity of these feelings was so strong that his two new Jedi friends, who had been specifically assigned to help him adjust to his completely alien surroundings, could easily sense the emotional turbulence radiating from him through their connection to the Force. This constant stream of overwhelming emotions was leaving the young Spider-Man feeling more than a little mentally and emotionally drained.
While Ahsoka and Barriss might not have extensive knowledge about Earth or Peter's home world, they were both naturally gifted at sensing and understanding a person's emotional state and the changes in their mental well-being.
Ever since Spider-Man had rescued them from Cad Bane's attack, both Ahsoka and Barriss had been given the responsibility of helping young Peter Parker better adapt to his new environment within the Jedi Temple and, more broadly, to life in this entirely unfamiliar galaxy. The other heroes from Earth had also been actively offering advice and suggestions based on their own experiences, and eventually the Jedi Council had agreed with the Avengers' assessment that Spider-Man would likely adapt to galactic life much more quickly if he spent time communicating and learning from people closer to his own age and maturity level.
Both Ahsoka and Barriss found Spider-Man to be somewhat strange and unusual compared to the other Avengers, but also genuinely fascinating and engaging as a person. He seemed to have an endless supply of questions about absolutely everything—far more questions than any of the other Avengers had asked when they first arrived, to the point where he was almost constantly chattering and seeking information. Most of the other Avengers appeared to be the type of people who would acquire just the basic essential knowledge they needed and then learn additional details gradually over time as situations developed or as circumstances required.
Spider-Man, by contrast, was like an incredibly absorbent sponge when it came to new information and knowledge.
He was obviously somewhat nervous and anxious about finding himself stranded on an alien planet so far from everything familiar, and while the presence of most of his fellow Avengers here could effectively help ease some of his nervousness and anxiety, it couldn't completely eliminate those underlying fears and concerns.
However, when Barriss had offered Spider-Man the opportunity to spend time studying in the Jedi Archives and Temple library, he had been uncertain and hesitant at first. But within just a few short days, he had quickly absorbed and mastered the fundamental basics of galactic history, politics, and culture, throwing himself completely into his studies with remarkable enthusiasm and dedication.
James Rhodes had jokingly commented to the other Avengers that he now completely understood why Tony Stark would want to recruit a kid like Peter—because the teenager was essentially like a younger, more enthusiastic version of Iron Man himself in terms of intellectual curiosity and learning capacity.
At this particular moment, Spider-Man was completely immersed in reading a comprehensive historical text about the development and evolution of galactic civilization, and he appeared to be absolutely fascinated by the complex and rich cultural heritage of the Mandalorian people.
Apparently, the Mandalorians had maintained a long and incredibly storied history throughout the galaxy, spanning thousands of years, and they had experienced numerous significant encounters, conflicts, and interactions with the Jedi Order over the centuries.
Speaking of the Jedi, Spider-Man had been genuinely shocked to discover that they had existed as an organization in this galaxy for literally thousands of years. They wielded lightsabers! They had advanced blaster technology! They could manipulate objects with their minds through something called the Force!
Then there was the whole concept of hyperspace travel, which sounded exactly like something straight out of the most imaginative science fiction novels he had ever read back on Earth.
But whenever his thoughts inevitably drifted back to Aunt May, who was so incredibly far away on Earth and probably worried sick about his sudden disappearance, all of his excitement and curiosity about learning everything there was to know about this new galaxy would instantly evaporate. Those positive feelings were immediately replaced by deep worry and guilt—worry that Aunt May wouldn't be able to find him, worry that she might think something terrible had happened to him, and guilt that he had somehow gotten himself into this impossible situation without any way to contact her and let her know he was safe.
"He seems to go through this emotional cycle quite frequently," Ahsoka whispered quietly to Barriss, who was sitting beside her at a nearby study table. The two Jedi Padawans had positioned themselves at the table next to Spider-Man's study area, also working on their own assignments and research under their respective Masters' guidance, since they only had one or two days remaining before their temporary leave period ended and they would return to active duty.
All of the chaotic and dangerous events that had occurred over the past several days had resulted in an extended break from regular duties for both the Jedi Knights and the clone troopers stationed on Coruscant. To be completely honest, it was fairly obvious that this extended leave was primarily intended to strengthen and reinforce security measures throughout the capital planet until the disturbances in the Force finally stabilized and returned to normal levels.
It was becoming increasingly clear that the Coruscant Guard and other security forces had become more tense and on edge during recent days. In fact, all of Coruscant seemed to be existing in a persistent state of heightened alert and barely controlled anxiety.
Barriss frowned slightly with concern and cleared her throat loudly enough to get Spider-Man's attention, causing him to turn around from his reading.
"Peter," Barriss said in a gentle whisper, "are you feeling alright? Is everything okay?"
"Oh? Oh yes! No, no, I'm—I'm perfectly fine," Spider-Man replied quickly, though it was immediately obvious from both girls' facial expressions that they didn't believe his reassurance for even a second.
"Peter, you do realize that we can sense your emotional discomfort quite clearly through our connection to the Force, don't you?" Ahsoka said with a slightly mischievous but understanding smile.
"You can actually do that?" Spider-Man asked with a mixture of curiosity and genuine surprise.
"We can accomplish quite a lot of different things through our relationship with the Force," Barriss replied with a warm smile. "Do you remember any of the information you read about the Force and how it works?"
Spider-Man stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Uh... I think I got the general impression. Something about how Jedi Knights use it to access and channel their various abilities."
Ahsoka chuckled softly at his simplified explanation. "That's probably the most basic way of describing it, but it's not entirely inaccurate. The Force is the fundamental source of our power and abilities as Jedi Knights. Through our connection to it, we have been able to defend the Republic and maintain peace throughout the galaxy for thousands of years."
"The source of your power?" Spider-Man repeated with obvious interest. "But what exactly is it? How does it work?"
"That's... actually quite difficult to explain properly," Barriss admitted thoughtfully. "Here in this galaxy, all living beings are deeply connected to the Force in various ways. My Master Luminara once told me something that Master Yoda had shared with her years ago. She said that the Force should be considered the Jedi's eternal companion and ally, not merely a tool to be used. The Force exists everywhere throughout the galaxy, connecting and binding all living things together. It gives all life in the galaxy the energy and power needed to grow, develop, and flourish. The Force exists in every corner of the universe—it flows through me, through Ahsoka, through the books you're reading, through the starships flying outside the city, through this Temple, through the inhabitants of every planet, and even through every single blade of grass on every world. It is the sacred duty and responsibility of all Jedi to learn to feel and understand the Force, and to fulfill the obligations and responsibilities that come with that connection."
Barriss had always genuinely loved discussing the philosophical and spiritual aspects of the Force. For her, talking about these concepts was not only her preferred method of advancing her own knowledge and deepening her personal connection to this all-encompassing energy, but it also helped her assist others in developing their own understanding and relationship with the Force, even those individuals who had no natural sensitivity to it.
After she finished her somewhat lengthy and passionate explanation, Barriss suddenly realized that she had gotten completely caught up in her own thoughts and enthusiasm. She looked up to find both Ahsoka and Spider-Man staring at her with expressions of surprise and admiration.
Barriss immediately felt embarrassed and self-conscious, and her cheeks instantly flushed with a deep red color.
"I always knew you were much smarter and more thoughtful than me, Barriss," Ahsoka said with obvious affection and respect, "but just now you sounded exactly like a Jedi Master giving a formal lecture."
"I really hope I didn't make a complete fool of myself," Barriss said with obvious embarrassment and uncertainty.
"Not at all! I think you sound like a true and wise Jedi," Ahsoka complimented her friend genuinely. "Don't you agree, Peter?"
Both girls turned their attention toward the young superhero and were pleasantly surprised to discover that the young man, who had previously possessed no knowledge whatsoever about the Force, was now sitting in deep, contemplative thought.
"Responsibility and duty, huh?" Spider-Man muttered to himself, clearly processing everything he had just heard. "You know, this Force concept sounds remarkably similar to certain philosophical and spiritual beliefs we have back on Earth. There are secular belief systems that emphasize how all living beings are connected and interconnected with each other. I think Earth might actually have something quite similar to your Force, just understood and expressed in different ways."
Both Ahsoka and Barriss perked up with excitement at Spider-Man's unexpected observation—this was something they had never heard any of the other Avengers discuss or even mention during their conversations.
"Do you really think Earth has its own version of the Force?" Barriss asked with obvious curiosity and interest.
"Based on the way you describe it and explain how it works, yes, I think so," Spider-Man nodded thoughtfully. "Though I suspect it might manifest and be understood somewhat differently than here in your galaxy."
"How does it feel to experience it?" Ahsoka asked eagerly, pulling her chair closer to Spider-Man's position. "What do you call this ability on your world?"
"We have various names for it, but one common term would be psychokinesis or telekinesis," Spider-Man explained. "Although I think there might be some fundamental differences between what you're describing and what we experience on Earth."
The two Padawans looked at him with obvious confusion. "What do you mean by that?"
Spider-Man considered his words carefully for a moment. "From the way you describe the Force, it sounds like it exists as a separate energy that flows through you, rather than being something that originates from within your own body. Is that accurate?"
Both Jedi girls thought about Spider-Man's question carefully and then nodded in agreement. "That's correct. The Force is not a form of internal energy or potential power that exists within an individual person."
Spider-Man leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, wearing a thoughtful and analytical expression. "Then the Force is probably quite different from the psychokinetic abilities that some people develop on Earth, since those tend to be more internally generated."
"Perhaps when we eventually find a way to return to your planet, we can explore these differences and discover the answers to these questions," Ahsoka said, unable to suppress her natural thirst for adventure and exploration—a trait she had clearly inherited from her Master.
"That sounds like an absolutely fascinating idea," Barriss agreed, somewhat surprised by how enthusiastic and willing she felt about the prospect of exploring an entirely different world.
Spider-Man was genuinely puzzled by the obvious eagerness and excitement displayed by the two young women sitting in front of him. He had only known these two for approximately four days, but he had spent time with them every single day during that period and had learned an enormous amount from their patient teaching and guidance. Through their conversations, he had gained knowledge about the ongoing galactic war, the history and philosophy of the Jedi Order, the nature of the Force, and countless other topics. During this time, he had also developed a fairly good understanding of both girls' individual personalities and character traits.
Ahsoka was definitely the more outgoing and extroverted of the two, with a personality that was much more similar to the type of teenagers his own age that he had interacted with back on Earth during his regular life.
Barriss, by contrast, was considerably quieter, more reserved, and more introspective in her approach to things. She seemed to choose her words very carefully and thoughtfully before speaking. Despite her obvious maturity and wisdom, she didn't appear to be much older than either him or Ahsoka.
But returning to the topic they had been discussing just moments before, Spider-Man grinned with genuine enthusiasm and made a playful suggestion: "Alright then, here's a deal for you—you two continue helping me understand this galaxy and everything in it, and in return, I'll teach you everything I know about Earth and what life is like there."
"Deal!" Ahsoka responded immediately with obvious excitement and anticipation.