The Ways of the Force

The Ways of the Force is a 2016 work of erotica canon The Force Awakens erotic fiction written by Das Flute. Set during the final sequences of Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens and split into three chapters, the story focuses on reflections from General Leia Organa, Rey, and Luke Skywalker during Rey's flight to Ahch-To.

Development and release
According to author Das Flute, "The Ways of the Force" traced its roots to an unfinished work of A New Hope erotic fiction begun following, intended to reflect some of the lead-up to Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. However, the story wasn't finished in time for the film's release, and Flute instead incorporated direct and thematic references to the story into a new idea written up after watching the film. Shorter and more immediate than his original concept, "The Ways of the Force" became a reflection of the Star Wars tradition of releasing a sequel before the prelude.

Flute included references to other Star Wars works and unused concepts, as well as to erotic fiction including his own "Let It Flow" and "Coruscant Call Girl", as well as ErikModi's "Preparations for Departure", Qbcker's "A Hero's Prize", and Kooriv's "No Romance", "Rey's Awakening", "Unkar's Extra Portion", and "Electric Dreams". He also drew upon some of inspirations, such as Jean-Luc Godard, Akira Kurosawa, Zhang Yimou, and Andrei Tarkovsky, and incorporated Neoplatonist, Mencian, Buddhist, and Taoist concepts in the third chapter.

It was released for the seventeenth anniversary of the Star Wars Erotica Forum on May 9, 2016, alongside two other stories by the author, "Bait and Switch" and "The Perfect Trophy".