Chapter Text
“Almost there, Kata,” her father assured as his forearm rattled against her cheek. Kata kept her eyes squeezed shut and tried to refocus her thoughts onto the feel of Mookie’s worn fabric, but it was hard to do when every alarm the ship had kept blaring. Then, with a final violent shake, everything seemed to freeze. “It actually worked. Kata, look. Open your eyes.” Cautiously opening one eye then the other, she let go of his arm and stared at the purple-blue planet before them. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“I guess,” she answered skeptically as she looked for any signs of city lights or ship traffic.
“You guess?” He chuckled as he pushed forward on the throttle. “Come on now, where’s your sense of adventure?”
Ignoring his question, Kata instead watched as the nose of the ship pierce through the planet’s thin pastel clouds till they gave way to a view unlike any she’d ever seen before. “Okay,” she admitted with a small smile as they flew over a sparkling cyan ocean lined by gray cliffs dotted with purple grass. “It’s beautiful. But where are the cities?”
“There are none. Supposedly there’s an old Jedi temple around here somewhere, but they abandoned it centuries ago.”
Kata let her smile fade and her shoulders sag. “So…it’s just us? There’s no one else here?”
“Yep. Isn’t it great? No more running, no more hiding. And since I’m not being sent on any missions anymore, you’ll never have to be alone again.”
As his words sunk in, Kata again clutched Mookie close against her chest and felt her sense of unease return. “But, what about your friend? I thought you said-”
“Cal’s not coming,” he interrupted. “Not anymore. None of them are. Best to just forget about them, alright? Besides, we’ve managed just fine on our own so far.”
Pressing her lips tightly together, she glanced down at her doll and ran her thumb across its orange mane, then glanced over at the strange compass as it twisted in on itself and clicked shut.
~*~
Twisting the control knob on the holotable, Cal watched as the topographical map of Rambler’s Reach shifted outward for a more zoomed in view, then studied the strangely cylindrical rock formation situated just past the river across from the town’s landing pad. “That’s gotta be it,” he muttered aloud as he zoomed back out so as to line his fingers up with the arrays from the forest and observatory. Next to him BD-1’s hololens shifted as he calculated the distance, then beeped with excitement. Giving his droid’s visor an affectionate rub, Cal gave him a moment to clamber back onto his shoulder as he turned off the holo then headed back into the co*ckpit to take his seat.
“Good timing. We’re just about to drop out of hyperspace,” Greez said as he flicked at the dash’s control switches then reached up to hold the hyperdrive’s lever. Seconds passed as they waited for the alarm to sound, then at its first blare the ship fell back into real space. “Next stop, Pyloon’s,” Greez stated in a slightly deflated tone. “Not sure I’ll be able to look at it the same way now, though.”
“What do you mean,” Cal asked, glancing at him.
“It’s just that…I can’t stop thinking about Cere. She fronted me the money but never got to visit. And now she never will.”
Cal swallowed as he tried to think of something to say, but from behind him Merrin asked, “Did she ever say where she found the credits?”
“Nah. She never told me. I was short a few and we’d started some small talk, but I didn’t even need to ask. She just always seemed to know what I needed.”
“I’m sorry, Greez,” Cal said softly.
“Yeah. Yeah me too. I would’ve liked to have shown her around just once, ‘ya know? And…I’m just so angry! I don’t know what to do with it all! Seems like every time you’re set to kick the gravball they pull it away!”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
“Eh, just one more regret to carry around, I guess. I just hope, somewhere out there, she can forgive me.”
“I’m sure she does. And I’m sure she’d tell you to just keep moving on. No regrets.”
“Hey,” Greez replied as he leaned over to nudge his shoulder. “That goes for both of us, kid. …Say, do you remember that time she tried making that Devaronian dish?”
Without even meaning too, Cal felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth as the memory of Cere holding a frying pan full of charred, smoking food while Greez flitted worriedly around the kitchen putting out the flames flickered to the forefront of his mind. “You mean that time she almost burned the ship down?”
Boop-boop zeebeep-bii, BD added, causing him to actually laugh.
“She may be gone, Greez, but I’ll never forget that.”
“I do not recall this incident,” Merrin stated.
“It was on our way back from Ilum, when you hadn’t joined us yet.”
“I see. Is that why the Mantis smelled awful when I first came aboard?”
“It did not!” Greez objected. “I worked my arms off making sure everything was clean after that fiasco!”
“Then it must have been the stench of musty fur I smelled.”
“Are you listening to this?” Greez asked him before shifting back to look at her. “My hygiene is impeccable, thank you very much. And I’m pretty sure you’ve got no room to talk, missy. How many times has your witch magick stunk up my ship?” When she said nothing he turned back with a huff and refocused on the encroaching terrain. “Besides, that stench you smelled was probably your boyfriend’s poncho.”
“Always with the poncho,” he sighed. “I was wading through swamps and crawling around dusty old tombs everywhere we went. What’d you expect me to come back smelling like? Uneti blossoms?”
“That’s fair,” Greez shrugged as he pulled back on the throttle and swung the ship around to gently lower onto the town’s landing platform. “So, you think this’ll take long? I gotta check-in with Monk and make sure no one’s racked up an outstanding tab while I was gone.”
Cal stared out the window toward the ridge across from them and frowned. “Not sure. Hopefully not too long.”
“I will speak with Zee and see if there’s anything she might be able to tell us,” Merrin stated as she stepped out.
Giving her a subtle nod, Cal remained seated for a moment longer until BD was once again latched onto his back, then shuffled out after Greez and headed down the ramp into the late evening sun. And as the two of them veered off toward the dugout back entrance, Cal continued on toward the stables - giving those milling about the saloon’s porch a polite nod till he caught sight of Mosey carrying buckets of feed inside the ramshackle barn.
“Well hey there, Cal. Long time no see.”
“Hey, Mosey,” he replied as he came to a halt to greet the approaching Nekko he’d befriended in the forest.
“Where’s your buddy at?”
Cal clenched and unclenched his jaw as he ran his hand over the animal’s face and down its feathers. “Bode’s gone.”
“Sorry,” she offered as he stepped into the stable. “I know you two were close.”
“He’s not dead. He just…betrayed us to the Empire.”
“Huh… Then I reckon you're on the hunt.”
“That’s right,” he answered as he vaulted himself onto the Nekko’s back and again connected with its mind.
“Well, do what you gotta do,” Mosey called after him as he rode out toward the entrance. “But just remember, vengeance breeds vengeance.”
Bringing the animal to a momentary halt, Cal looked back at her then out across the river as he considered her words, then patted for the Nekko to continue. “Yeah,” he called back. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
~*~
Glancing back at the ship’s radar to confirm the structure’s location, Bode again squinted against the sun’s light and scanned once more around the mountain’s base. He’d already done one flyby without seeing anything, but as he swung around for another pass a glint of something golden caught his eye from within the lip of a cave entrance, and from deep within he felt the Force shift. “Bet that’s it,” he said as he tilted the fighter to descend down upon the flattened area dotted with tidal pools.
“What is it,” Kata asked as she struggled to see.
“The temple. Figure it’s as good a place as any to take shelter for the night.”
“What’s inside?”
“Well, if it's anything like the temples I visited as a kid, gardens, training rooms, libraries, a cafeteria, a medical bay. Pretty much everything we’ll need really.”
“Will there be droids?”
Bode chuckled as he hovered the ship just long enough to settle onto its landing gear, then powered down the engine. “Maybe. Zee managed to last this long.”
“Who’s Zee?”
“Just some old droid who told us about this place,” he answered as he slid open the co*ckpit canopy. “Don’t worry about it. Here, don’t forget your bag. Got Mookie?”
“Yes.” Carefully he shifted himself up and out of the co*ckpit, then reached out to help Kata down. “Where’s your bag, Papa?” She asked as she shouldered her backpack. Bode frowned as he blinked away to avoid seeing the same sense of loss in her eyes he felt in his heart. “I had to leave it behind. There wasn’t enough room and we were running out of time.”
“But the holos of Mama were in that bag! We have to go back!”
“We can’t go back, Kata. You know that.”
“Then how are we supposed to remember her?”
Staring hard into her pleading eyes he knelt down and laid a firm hand on her arms. “We remember her through our stories,” he stressed. “And by singing the songs she taught us.”
“But…what if I forget what she looked like?”
“How can you,” he whispered with a sad smile as he looked over her face. “When you look just like her. Your mama will always be with you. Especially in a place like this. Now, let’s head inside and see what we can find.”
~*~
“Woah,” Cal called as he willed the Nekko to slow to a walk as it approached a section of rock that featured an open, man-made entrance adorned with alabaster white metal. “This has to be it.” From behind him, BD-1 beeped in agreement. Sniffing at the cool breeze coming from within the darkened interior, the Nekko came to a halt and let out a purred coo as he dismounted. “We’ll be okay,” Cal assured it, sending through their shared connection a sense of calm. “Mind staying in the area to take me back?” A sense of uncertainty flowed back into him as the Nekko’s thin ears perked and its nostrils flared, but then the feeling shifted into one of ease as the creature visibly relaxed and leaned down to nibble on a shrub. “I’ll take that as a yes,” Cal chuckled. “Alright, BD, let’s finish this.”
Bee-zuu, his friend cheered as they stepped through the entryway and into the shadowed cave. At a cautious pace they headed toward the growing light at the other end, then squinted against the light filtering down upon the open air cavern.
“Welcome. I am Santari Khri. Director of this experimental facility,” Khri’s voice echoed just as it had in the training chambers. “Safety protocols require one person to remain here while the arrays are active.”
“Well at least we know we’re in the right place,” Cal stated as he walked down the sloping stone pathway toward the lift below. “But these crates are a bad sign. What’s the Empire doing here?” With a nudge of his boot he knocked over the small handheld power generator and followed the trail of power cables that were plugged into the lift’s control box. “Greez, can you hear me,” he spoke into his comm while looking around for signs of an ambush.
“Yeah, I hear ‘ya. How’s it going?”
“We just reached the control center. But it looks like the Empire may have gotten here first.”
“Hmm. Monk said there’s been a lotta Imp chatter on the comms lately. You think they know about Tanalorr too?”
“Don’t know. Maybe. But there’s another problem. Unless one of us is gonna stay behind, we need someone here to activate the arrays.”
“Oh. Uh, yeah, sure. I’ll ask around and see if anyone’s got a death wish. Maybe Turgle? You wouldn’t believe the small fortune he owes me.”
“Maybe not Turgle,” Cal winced.
Beep boop, BD agreed.
“Yeah, alright. I’ll see what I can do.”
Letting out a puff of air, Cal then stepped onto the lift and closed his eyes to try and clear his mind as he was gently carried down toward whatever awaited below. And once it came to a halt he found himself in a darkened chamber filled with overgrown Koboh matter and partially functioning monitoring consoles. Despite no signs of the Empire’s presence this far down, he couldn’t shake the sense that something was amiss, and reached out through the Force. Multiple Force signatures bloomed into being from within the room ahead. But it was the overwhelming energy coming from the central chamber that drew his attention; the same raw energy he’d felt while traversing the firing chambers of the Shattered Moon’s laser array. Unclipping his hilt and splitting it in two, Cal readied himself and strode toward the door.
“There he is. I see you, scum,” snarled one of the two Purge Troopers awaiting him on the other side. As they stalked toward him spinning their electro-staffs, Cal calmly latched on to the energy around them and sent them crashing against the ceiling before falling to the floor, then dove forward and ignited both emitters into their backs as he rolled back onto his feet.
“Come get what you deserve,” shouted another voice right as the vent above him bursted outward and two shielding rings were activated. Taking a hurried step back, Cal quickly swung both of his blades in a blurred ring around himself - focusing all his physical and mental efforts on deflecting each bolt from the two rotary blasters above - that he almost missed the fact that two more Purge Troopers, accompanied by a Flametrooper, were also entering through a side entrance.
Letting out a grunt of frustration, Cal continued to try and keep his distance from his attackers, and did his best to angle his blades so that the bolts deflected back toward them. But the strategy wasn’t working. Then right as he noticed the blaster's muzzles glow orange through the streaks of blue he slowed his movements as they choked to a halt and shoved outward with all his might, sending all five of them flying backwards off their feet. Then he burst into a run past them and leapt up onto the vent’s ledge and flipped himself inside, and lashed his blades through their armor.
“Get down here, coward,” one of them yelled over their comrade’s pained cries. But Cal had no interest in fighting fair.
“How ‘bout you come up here and face me,” Cal suggested as he clutched the trooper with an invisible grasp and pulled him through the air so as to slam him into his awaiting blade before flinging him back toward the flametrooper - causing the soldier to shuffle back and redirect their spray nozzle toward the other Purge Trooper on accident. Using the split second of chaos, Cal then shifted his focus in the Force and did the same to the flametrooper, then tossed their corpse at the screaming trooper desperately trying to put out their flaming armor and reached for his pistol blaster to put the trooper out of their misery with one clean shot.
“Target lost. Attempting to locate,” stated an automated voice.
Seriously, Cal thought as he shifted toward the edge of the vent and fired off several shots at the vulture droid floating up and out from the entrance below. But while the one droid wasn’t so much of a problem, it was the fact that it was accompanied by not only two more vulture droids but also a DT Sentry and two KX droids. “A little help, Bee-Dee,” he asked as he began deflecting back their shots while sending his own. Instantly BD-1 scrambled down his back and clung to his leg, and sent a dart of electricity at the sentry droid’s small antenna. As it momentarily froze one of the security droids threw a grenade through the air, but Cal pulled back his blaster and instead used his hand to guide it toward the remaining two vulture droids, and looked away for just a moment as they exploded and clattered onto the floor.
“That was unexpected,” stated the security droid as it gave the other KX a human-like glance. Then from behind the DT droid’s flickering red eyes glowed solid once more, and as it spun its torso it raised both arms and brought down its electro-hammer and electro-ax appendages and crushed and carved both droids effortlessly.
“Nice save, bud,” he said as he jumped down. “I have a feeling it wasn't a coincidence that Purge Troopers were here. They were waiting for us. Bode must’ve tipped them off; told them we were coming.”
Wooo.
The thought of his friend going to such lengths to stop them - to get him killed at every turn - only fed his growing resentment. But it was a feeling he quickly acknowledged. I can’t give in to the darkness and let it control me again. Not for anything. And as he took in a deep breath he recalled his meditation training with his former master and exhaled, and felt his muscles relax and his grip on his weapons loosen. Let go the anger and focus instead on the moment. All that matters is the aligning the arrays.
Feeling once again in control, Cal then headed toward the last unopened door not completely covered by crystalline Koboh matter and pried it open with a wave of his hand, and blinked in surprise at the sight of a large spinning column just on the other side of the extended platform. “This looks promising,” he stated as he entered. “Not bad for an abandoned facility.” And once he reached the edge of the platform a slim control console rose out of the floor automatically, and with it a distorted echo weaving through his consciousness. Tapping into it, Cal felt his mind drift further as all color and sound drained away, then felt Khri and Dagan’s presence around him.
“Impressive. So, this is your kingdom.”
“I work with many talented scientists.”
“None as talented as you, Santari.”
“And yet we’ve reached an impasse. Perhaps you will bring me some much-needed luck.”
Letting out a slight gasp as the echo dimmed away and reality around him returned, Cal looked at the controls and pressed in the very code Santari Khri had used, and looked up as the three spinning rings began to spin faster as their lights shifted from red to yellow, then slowed to a stop once they turned blue, revealing three separate locks. “Khri must’ve locked down the facility when they evacuated. But that’s not gonna stop us,” Cal stated as he reached out with his mind and forcefully pulled apart each lock with a physical tugging motion. In an instant all three latches bent away from one another, and as it did so the doors reluctantly slid apart to reveal an enclosed lift within while a shifting bridge of Koboh matter appeared ahead of him. Jogging across the bridge, Cal quickly activated its control switch, and waited with bated breath as the lift began to rise and Santari’s voice echoed within the space.
“Proceed to the observation deck to initiate alignment.”
“You gotta hand it to Khri. She thought of everything.”
Bee-whoop, BD nodded as the bay window in front of them suddenly changed from the rush of metal walls to a sunlit view of the valley below and the illuminated arrays from the forest and floating station above. And once the lift came to a stop, the tower’s own array emitter shifted past and locked into view, creating an almost triangular alignment when centered with the abyss.
“Not a terrible view,” he commented as he looked over the flashing switches on the control board. Letting the Force guid his movements, Cal pressed the assumed sequence then stepped back and watched as the lines of the matter arrays began to shift toward the abyss.
“Cal,” Zee’s chipper voice called. Cal turned and watched as the droid herself lifted her arms in surprise then shuffled toward him.
“Zee? You made it!”
“Greez informed me you were in need of assistance so, here I am!”
“That’s a long trip. Couldn’t have been easy.”
“I might be two-hundred years old, but I’m as spry as a Padawan. That and your companion, Merrin, offered me a faster alternative. And just in time it seems. …Amazing,” she stated with a tint of robotic awe as she came to a stop in front of the window. “Oh, Cal, this is simply amazing! You know, I’m feeling…nostalgic. It was so long ago when I last spoke to Master Khri. Yet when I see her experiments lighting up the sky, I feel close to her once more. Oh, Cal Kestis, not a day passes when I’m not grateful you pulled me out of that collapsed tunnel.”
Cal gave her an understanding smile as he moved to stand by her side, but quickly let it fall as he looked out at the abyss. “Can you start the arrays when we’re in position?”
“Oh, I stand ready for your order,” she declared with a raised finger. “It would be my honor to see Master Khri’s dream alive once more.”
“Then, for your Master,” he replied softly before turning away to stand on the lift once more.
“Safe travels, Cal. If Dagan Gera can chart that flight, then I know you can, too. May the Force be with you.”
~*~
Shifting her eyes from one shadowed corner to the next, Kata tightened her grip on Mookie and pressed him against her cheek as she ran to catch up with her father. “I don’t understand,” he muttered under his breath to himself as he strode into another room and began rummaging through what little there was. “If they evacuated in a hurry then why didn’t they leave anything behind?”
Kata turned and headed back into the hall as her stomach growled for a second time and pressed her lips tightly together as the strange feeling she’d felt upon entering the temple slowly returned like a subtle breeze. “Papa?”
“What, Kata?”
“Are you sure we have to stay here? I… I don’t like it. It doesn’t feel right.”
“I already told you, we’re staying. So get used to it. Once I find where everything is and turn on the rest of the power I’m sure you’ll feel differently.”
“But there’s nothing here.”
“Look,” her father snapped suddenly, startling her. “If you’re too scared to help then go back outside and wait for me.”
“By myself?”
“I don’t have time to coddle you right now, Kata. Either help me or don’t,” he stated as he stomped out of the room and across the hall into another room.
Kata looked around her once more then stared up into the empty eyes of the stone statues that loomed over them every few feet, and wished desperately that her mother was there. Then, without a word, she slowly turned and headed back the way they’d come, feeling even more lost and alone.
~*~
“Merrin,” Cal called in surprise as he stepped off the lift. “You came too?”
“Yes. I wanted to make sure Zee got to you safely. But it seems you already took care of that,” she stated with a subtle hint of amusem*nt as she waved her hand back toward the lifeless bodies strewn alongside the scattered droid parts. “Most of them anyway. What were they doing here?”
“Not sure. But if I had to guess, I’d say Bode had a hand in it.”
“I will see him pay for his treachery,” she hissed as they headed out and onto the lift that would carry them back to the surface.
Cal agreed that he should face some form of justice, but something about the idea of killing him still felt wrong somehow. “Say we catch Bode. What do you think we should do?”
Merrin glanced at him with a raised eyebrow and a stare that made her answer obvious. “Remember, Cal, that there are people counting on us. Our friends, anyone who survived Jedha. Bode has what he wants. And he will fight to the death to keep it.”
“Yeah,” he sighed. “You’re right. It’s just…I keep thinking about what happened on Nova Garon. I came so close to losing myself. I’m worried that when I see him again I’ll…”
“I know,” she said quietly as she placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Just don’t brood so much that you lose your edge. We’re counting on you.”
“I understand,” he replied as he stepped away to head back into the cave. But as the weight of his task grew heavier in his heart, he felt her warm hand slip into his.
“We’re close to finishing this, Cal. One way or another. And we are in this together. When you face him, you will not be alone. I will be there by your side.”
Giving her hand a squeeze and shifting so as to bump his shoulder against hers, he flashed her an appreciative smile as the light from the exit began to illuminate both their faces. “Thanks, Merrin. Knowing that you’re still with me... That's what keeps me going.” And as they came to a stop next to where the Nekko still stood grazing, he pulled her close just long enough to rest his forehead against hers and focused on the strength of their bond.
“When you’re ready to leave, head for the Mantis. Greez and I will be waiting.” And just like a ghost, he felt her presence pull away then vanish.
Smooth, he scolded himself as he turned and clambered onto the Nekko’s back and clucked for it to return to town. I probably should’ve kissed her once last time. Now I might never get the chance again. “Say, you don’t happen to have any, uh, dating advice stored in your memory banks, do you, Bee-Dee?”
Boop, his friend answered quizzically. Bii-oop?
“I was just wondering,” he shrugged. “Could probably do with some pointers.”
Boo berr-berrp whoop.
“Uh, no,” he chuckled. “Definitely not gonna ask Greez.”
Booop?
“Don’t worry about it. There’s more important things to be focusing on at the moment.”
Bii boop bwoop?
“Yeah. I really hope this works.”
Boop beep-boo boop-boo.
Glancing back at his droid, Cal gave him a reassuring smile and scratched at the side of his visor. “I don’t want to either, bud. But it’s the only choice we’ve got. All we can do now is trust in the Force and hope we make it.”
~*~
Running through his mental checklist one last time as he looked around, Greez shifted his attention onto the hydro converters and yelled, “Hey, Monk? Did you remember to charge these converters? They’re low again!”
“I asked you to do that, old boy,” the droid replied as he slid into the kitchen on his rail while one of his limbs placed a mug into the sink and another grabbed ahold of the ladle and stirred the evening’s stew.
“Asked me?” Greez bristled. “That was- Wait, who’s the boss around here, anyway?”
“Hard to say,” Monk answered with a slow pulsed blink of his ocular light. “But we should probably figure that out.”
“Wise guy,” he grumbled as he reached for the extension cables and ran them over the counter toward the two charging GONK droids. “Well can you at least look into hiring some muscle to keep the saloon safe while we’re gone?”
“But that’ll reduce our already thin margins. Plus, bringing in extra protection could paint a target on the saloon. About all we could afford right now is an especially ill-tempered Jawa.”
“You know one?”
Tilting his head, Monk let go of the ladle and twisted his torso around as he slid to the end of his rail and rested his lower set of limbs upon the bar. “Does this have anything to do with you flying off into that ship-eating nebula next door? Cause otherwise you’d be barely lifting a finger.”
Feeling a retort bubble up inside his chest, Greez held it in for a split second then let it go with a heavy sigh. “Yeah, probably.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I don’t know when we’ll be back. If we’ll be back,” he emphasized with a wave of his arms. “And I’ve come to care about this place and the town, ya know? I wanna make sure it's in good hands in case something bad happens.”
“Ah,” Monk answered in a knowing tone. “That sort of trip. Well, I’ll give it everything my programming allows. And, since you and your crew have no open tabs, I suppose all that’s left to say is good luck and ‘Come to Pyloon’s Saloon. And we hope to see you soon’,” he sang with a wobble of his hands near the end.
Greez chuckled as he rubbed at the bald spot on his head. “Might’ve missed your calling, Monk. If the DJ ever moves on, maybe you can take their place.”
“Well, it’s never too late to try something new.”
“Yeah,” he sighed as he let his hand drop to his side and took one last look around the kitchen he’d tried so hard to recreate from his childhood memories. “Take care, Monk.”
“You too, old boy.”
~*~
Trotting up the ramp, Cal knocked his fist against the door controls and glanced around the lounge and kitchen before heading into the co*ckpit where Greez and Merrin were already waiting. “Ready?” He asked as BD jumped from his shoulder onto the dash and he slid into his seat.
“Ready,” Merrin answered.
“Greez?” He asked as he checked the shielding readout. But when he got no reply he swiveled around and found the Latero dabbing a rag against his forehead and neck. “Hey, Greez, you alright?”
“Oh, yeah. Just, uh, y’know. A little distracted is all,” he answered as he tossed the rag aside and shifted anxiously. “I mean, I’m about to fly freehand into a stellar anomaly with an appetite for starships. And I tell ya,” he laughed nervously as he spun up the engines. “My palms haven’t been this sweaty since-”
“You can do this,” Cal interrupted as he gave his friend’s shoulder a quick firm shake. For a moment Greez stared at him with wide eyes as his mouth silently moved, then turned his attention back out the window and firmly grasped the wheel with two of his arms while the third began pushing upward on the throttle.
“Yeah, sure. I can do this,” he muttered. “I can do this.”
Bii-boop whoop, BD asked in an almost teasing manner.
“Oh, who asked you anyway,” Greez snapped as he increased their speed. Cal shot a scolding glance at his droid then focused on suppressing his own anxieties as the canyon valleys gave way to a thinning sky that morphed into a sea of endless black, save for the colorful clouds of dust and debris they were now flying towards.
“We’re receiving a call from Zee,” Merrin stated.
Cal shifted to look back at her then slid from his chair and headed toward the holotable. “Patch her through.”
“Cal,” Zee asked as her flickering image appeared. “Is it time?”
“We’re heading to the Abyss now. Fire up the arrays.”
“I’ll be monitoring your progress from here. May the Force be with you all.”
“And you, Zee,” he replied as he ended the transmission and returned to his seat. Yet before he swiveled back around he took one last moment to look at Merrin and commit what he could of her to memory. And as if sensing him, she looked over and held his gaze, and silently gave him a nod he knew to mean she was with him to the very end; and that no matter their fate, she was ready to face it. Giving her a nod in return, he spun back around and activated the shields, then sat and waited.
“…Well,” Greez huffed. “What do you think is taking Zee so long?”
“Dagan Gera was the only person to live through what we’re about to do,” Cal reminded him. “I’d rather she take her time making sure everything works.”
“And if she doesn’t, then at least we will die together,” Merrin added as she moved to stand behind them.
“Hey, great pep talk, kids,” Greez snarked. “Hopefully they can fit that on my tombstone.”
“Look,” she called, directing their attention ahead as a pulse of energy ran through each matter array and impacted the central tear at the heart of the nebula. And a second after the last, the opening slit began sending out waves of purple energy that twisted into whips before morphing into an ominous-looking triangle.
“Wow,” Greez breathed. “Here we go.” But right as Cal gripped the armrest the ship lurched forward as if stalled.
Zeeep! BD trilled angrily.
“I know! I know,” Greez shouted back as he hastily flipped at the dash switches then tried again. “You wanna fly this thing?”
Beep boop! Ziiberrp-brr ziizuu-werrp, he answered as he skittered into Cal’s view and stomped his foot pedal.
Not a good time, Bee-Dee, Cal thought as he placed his hand over his droids eyes and immobilized him just long enough so as to slide him back across the dash and away from Greez. And with a forceful shove at the throttle they all lurched back as the Mantis took off.
Once they passed the first ring of energy the ship’s shields activated and displayed just how much radiation was bombarding them as they zipped past into the pulsing purple tunnel. Yet quickly approaching from beyond the third ring came a cluster of dark orange clouds tangled in tendrils of an all too familiar matter. And once the radiation levels lowered they passed into the cluster. Letting out a low whistle, Cal looked all around them as their pilot guided the yacht through the webs of Koboh matter and did his best to avoid the random strikes of lightning snaking inward from beyond Santari’s array tunnel. “It’s beautiful,” he breathed.
“Oh yeah. I’ll bet that’s what all the other poor saps said right before they were turned into vortex chow.”
Probably, Cal admitted to himself as Greez shifted the fin’s rotation a second too late and caused it to scrape against one of the strands of crystal-liquid matter, causing the ship’s alarms to blare as they were sent drifting sharply off to the right.
“Great! Now it’s an obstacle course,” Greez whined as all four of his limbs shifted over the controls. “They’re coming too fast.”
“But you are faster!” Merrin insisted as she held on to their headrests to steady herself as they were thrown again from another impact. “Stop piloting and start flying!”
Cal frantically scanned over the controls available to him then paused the moment he noticed how little shielding they had left, then made the call and began overriding the system. “I’m rerouting power from deflectors to the engines.”
“What, are you crazy? You’re trading safety for speed!”
“Exactly! We’re all in on you, buddy.”
“Wha- I- Uh,” Greez muttered as he looked between the two of them then stared at the next oncoming cluster. “Why not! It’s my ship, ain’t it? Greezy does it, baby!” He shouted as he shifted the fin back into place and threw forward the throttle as far as it’d go. With nothing else to lose, the Mantis sailed deftly through each narrow loop of matter as if it was a prize-winning racer, and swooped and spun past the chunks of larger debris. But as they passed into a less crowded section the protective wall of the array tunnel seemed to quickly be narrowing. “Hey, wait a minute. Is it me or is this tunnel getting a tad cozy?”
“It’s not just you,” Cal answered, reaching back to switch on the comms. “Zee, what’s going on?”
“The arrays are overloading,” she replied through a hum of static. “There’s nothing I can do!”
“We need to go faster,” Merrin urged; her fear now evident in her voice.
“I’m going as fast as I can!”
Scrambling for any other ideas, Cal felt a familiar presence suddenly brush against his mind through the Force, and as he shifted to see if anyone was actually there his eyes locked onto the hyperdrive’s leaver. Always consider the situation from multiple angles, Cere’s voice echoed in his mind. Not even bothering to question their chances, Cal leapt from his chair and reached for the leaver.
“Woah, wait! Wait a minute,” Greez urged as he threw out his arms to push him back. “Are you crazy? If you jump into hyperspace blind they’ll be picking up pieces of the Mantis all over the Outer Rim!”
“Do you trust me,” he asked calmly as he felt the Force thread itself through and around him as strongly as ever. Staring at him in disbelief for a split second, Greez then glanced back at Merrin as she nodded for him to do so.
“You know I do, Cal,” he answered him with a grin and a shake of his head. “Let her ride.”
Closing his eyes and opening himself fully to the Force’s will, Cal felt his mind grow still, then flicked his eyes open and pulled on the leaver the second he felt Cere’s presence return and shout, NOW.
From the back of the ship the hyperdrive wound to a high pitched whine then hummed as the closing tunnel stretched outward far beyond their line of sight before they were sent forward at breakneck speed. Fighting to keep his eyes open, Cal watched as swirls of purple and blurred patches of blue and orange streaked past while Greez screamed beside him. Then, just when he was sure they were done for and going to be pulled apart, the ship lurched to a standstill and tossed him hard against the dash as the hyperdrive spun down in an exhaustive sounding drone.
We made it, he thought with relief as a planet ballooned into view just ahead of them. WE made it. And before he did anything else, he rushed to his feet and grabbed Merrin’s face and kissed her; savoring not only the feel of her lips moving just as desperately against his own but of her hands clutching the back of his neck to hold him in place as her tongue brushed against his, then sliding down his shoulders before letting him go so as to slap Greez to silence him.
“Ahhh! -Oh. Huh.” Greez muttered as they pulled apart and looked back out the window.
“You did it, you three armed son of a gundark,” Cal laughed as he shoved his friend’s shoulder.
“Hah hah! Well, at least none of us lost our cool,” Greez grinned as glanced between him and Merrin. But as the sudden thrill of survival faded the mood among the cabin shifted into one of trepidation, Greez let out an awed sigh as he gently pushed on the throttle. “I hope it was worth it.”
~*~
I can’t believe this, Bode thought bitterly as a bubble of laughter escaped him. There’s not a damn thing here we can use. “I’m gonna have to fly through that nightmare again just to get supplies. Hah! And where am I gonna get all that? Steal it from the Raiders? Waltz right into town, guns ablaze, and demand Monk hand over all of Greez’s junk?” he laughed again as all his stress and frustration began to spill over. And as he rose to his feet to pace - after a second of silence - he let loose a roar so loud it echoed all throughout the once-hallowed chamber. “IS THIS YOUR WILL? AM I TO KNOW NOTHING BUT SUFFERING? Because I dared to fear for my family? After all that I’ve done - in the name of the Jedi, the Council, the Republic, the Empire… THEY TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!”
As his chest heaved and his heart ached with grief, a choked sob escaped him as he angrily wiped at his eyes. I should have just come with the Hidden Path and destroyed the compass. We’d have supplies, Kata would actually be happy. And Cal and the others would still be alive. …I would have been the hero I was supposed to be. The man Tayala believed me to be… And as he tried to reign in his anger and formulate a plan forward, he looked up at the golden embroidered banners with the Orders long ago symbol depicted upon them, and felt the weight of his past settle over him. Dagan notwithstanding, the few remaining Jedi really were a pale imitation of what had come before. And he had proven no exception.
~*~
“This is it,” Cal blurted as he felt a stir in the Force and scooted to the edge of his seat to get a glimpse of the cliff below with a stone monolith standing at its edge next to a small waterfall. “The place where Dagan first landed.”
Leaning to either side so as to gauge their necessary approach, Greez swung the ship in a slow downward turn while shifting the fin into its neutral upright position before gently settling down in the small open space. Through the window they were treated to a view of a thin stream of bright blue water trailing out from under the ship to disappear at the cliff’s edge; framed by the pale astral sky above and the naturally carved light gray rock surrounding them that extended out into the valley of pastel flora beyond.
One by one they silently exited toward the door and down the ramp, and shielded their eyes from the bright light till they adjusted enough to take in their surreal surroundings. On the subtle cool breeze that rustled their hair, a faint sweet fragrance lingered that pleasantly mixed with the soothing trickle of the waterfall and the bird calls coming from the twisted purple trees clinging to the rock ledges around them.
“I have seen many places in my travels,” Merrin started with a rare look of wonder. “But nothing quite like this.
“Yeah,” Cal replied as he slowly spun in place. “It’s unbelievable.”
“Yet…there is a darkness here. You feel it too, yes?”
Cal let his smile fade as he focused on the energy around them, and looked from her toward the naturally carved pathway ahead that seemed to be their only traversable exit. “I do. Everywhere. But there’s light, too.”
“A balance.”
Cal hummed in response, uncertain if such a thing were achievable with so much dark energy present, and moved to stand at her side so as to study her expression. “Is it what you were expecting?”
“I don’t know what I was expecting,” she frowned as she shrugged her shoulder. “So much has changed since I first heard its name.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”
“Its beauty is unquestionable. But that doesn’t mean it is hospitable. From what I’ve seen so far, it will take a lot to make this place a home for those on the Hidden Path. But that will mean nothing if we do not get the compass back from Bode.”
Letting out a sigh, Cal nodded and looked back to find Greez muttering to himself as he studded the superficial dents and scrapes along the ship’s exterior. “You gonna stay here, Greez?”
“Of course! Who knows what sort of monsters out there might have a taste for seasoned Latero meat. Besides, it looks like the ship could use a little work. But you and Merrin be careful out there, okay?”
Boop-beep? BD asked as he scampered up his leg and latched onto his bandolier strap.
“Yeah, you too, Bee-Dee.”
“We’ll all be okay, Greez,” Cal assured him.
“I’m gonna hold ya to that, Cal! I don’t plan on living out my days on this rock! Especially not with that traitor!”
“We’ll be back soon,” he replied. At least, I hope.
As they silently followed the winding path that had seemingly been carved out by a long-ago river, Cal continued to take in the strange sights, sounds, and smells - catching himself every few feet trailing behind Merrin as she as she trudged ever forward - and wondered if this was how Dagan had felt upon first exploring the planet. “Dagan and Santari Khri planned their future here,” he stated as he paused just long enough to touch the magenta colored leaves of a bush not unlike the one Santari had examined in Dagan’s memory.
“And look where it got them,” Merrin stated as she paused to wait for him.
Cal frowned at her indifference, and strode to catch up. “I mean, sure, things didn’t go as they’d hoped. But how is that any different than what we’re doing?”
Her black lips twisted with thought as she glanced at the bush then back to him. “I suppose it's not. Let us just hope ours has a different ending.”
“Yeah,” he sighed before continuing on.
“Perhaps the darkness here affected him more than he realized.”
“Maybe,” he answered, becoming all too aware of how much stronger the darkness felt in the shadowed corners of the caves and crevices they passed. And as they crested over the incline, the mountain temple below came into view - momentarily bringing them both to a halt with its beauty before they continued through an enclosed tunnel and down the trail at its end that curved toward the mountain's base. “Makes me think of something Cere once said. ‘Every Jedi faces the dark side’. I feel so much hatred towards Bode…”
“Cere won her battle with the dark. You will too.”
“I hope so.”
~*~
Trying not to let her worries get the best of her, Merrin instead tried to focus on the smooth stones beneath her boots and the direction in which they had come and were heading, and made sure to keep pace with her Jedi as they trudged through the spattering of shallow pools and rusted remnants of a long ago battle covered in semi-aquatic plants and bleached crustaceans. Tanalorr truly was unlike any other place she’d been to. And it wasn’t just visually different. As she glanced up to watch the sun’s light vanish from view as they passed into a narrow covered canyon, Merrin felt the planet’s energy shift as if letting out a breath to take in a new one. And once Cal squeezed himself through a thin crevice to reach the yard in front of the temple - and she raced through the void to reach him more comfortably - the energy around them shifted again. Like the tides of an ocean, she realized as Dathomir’s fire within her flickered back to a simmer. Fitting, seeing as so much of this planet has been shaped by it.
“Bode’s ship,” Cal stated, drawing her attention back onto what lay ahead. “Looks like he’s still here.”
“Good,” she replied, reading herself for the worst.
As they neared the massive cave entrance decoratively carved to depict two ever-watchful Jedi cloaked in robes standing to either side of a fountain centered in front of the temple’s open golden doorway, Cal came to a halt and turned to look at her with a pensive expression. “Maybe we shouldn’t kill Bode,” he blurted, completely blindsiding her. But her moment of stunned silence lasted only but a second as her irritation at his lack of resolve rushed to the forefront.
“You cannot be serious. Bode will not let this end peacefully! He has already used fatherhood to justify betrayal and murder. Now that we’ll have him cornered, with nowhere else to run, he will kill or be killed. Are you willing to give him that opportunity just to ease your conscience?” His green eyes flitted away from hers and instead stared at his former friend’s starfighter, making her all the more angry. “Well?” She snapped. “Say something!”
“…You’re right,” he muttered, looking back at her with eyes full of guilt. “But what about Kata? She’s not much younger than we were when our families were taken from us. And you and I will carry that loss for the rest of our lives,” he stressed as he touched his chest where his heart lay and stepped into her personal space. Merrin glared back at him but quickly let the heat of her stare fade, and looked down at his hand as she recalled the pain and anger she had felt for so long. “But Kata still has a chance.”
At his words she closed her eyes and exhaled her frustration. “Yes. She does,” she relented, looking back up at him with a nod. “Very well. We will give Bode the choice to stand down. For Kata’s sake.”
Stepping back to give her space once more, Cal nodded. “And ours,” he added as he headed inside.
Ugh. I hate how right he is sometimes, she frowned as she followed after him. But as they headed deeper into the cave and up the ascending steps, a small voice singing a haunting lullaby began to echo from within the widening chamber ahead.
“Ghost star - wonder where you are. Ghost star - are you very far? All night long, I’ll sing your song, if you watch over me. Ghost star - hiding in the night. All your friends are oh-so bright. When the sky is clear, I can sense you’re near, looking down on me. Ghost star - silent in the sky. Now I - start to wonder why! Show me your light, I’ve waited all night. Ghost star, won’t you sing with me?”
“Do you hear that,” she whispered, glancing at Cal as his jaw clenched and his lips pressed firmly together. “What is that?”
“It’s Kata,” he replied. Merrin felt her mouth drift open as she listened to the repeated lyrics, and felt the weight and sadness of the girl’s song as it seeped into her soul. It was a sense of longing she was all too familiar with. And as they entered the inner atrium - with its natural light spilling down from the opening above to shine upon the gold-adorned white stone of the soft-edged triangular temple entrance - and walked up the steps to where Kata sat alone cradling a doll in her hands, Merrin swore she would see no harm come to the girl, no matter her father’s decision.
At the sight of her, Bee-Dee let go his grip on Cal’s back and scurried towards the girl, beeping excitedly and hopping up to stand alongside her as her face brightened. “Bee-Dee One,” she grinned.
“Hey, Kata,” Cal greeted, causing the girl’s smile to fade. “This is Merrin,” he continued, placing his hand upon her back. “She’s a friend.”
As the girl’s wary eyes shifted from him onto her, Merrin watched as a subtle look of surprise came over her, then vanished as she looked back toward the darkened corridor with a look of disappointment. “I’m sorry Papa hurt you.”
“Yeah,” Cal sighed with a shake of his head as he stepped closer.
“He said I’d never see you again. What are you doing here?”
“Kata, your father stole something very important. We’re gonna ask him to give it back,” he explained gently as he glanced back at her.”
Merrin held his gaze but for a moment as she clasped her hands behind her back and stepped forward to stand at his side, then looked to Kata and gave her a questioning look as she asked, “Will you show us the way?”
As her shoulders visibly drooped, Kata closed her eyes and sighed - clearly uneager to find out the repercussions she might face by helping them - then looked between the two of them again before answering, “Okay. Follow me,” and siding onto her feet off the stone to lead them inside. But as they entered the darkened corridor, she stopped and clutched her doll against her chest. “I…don’t like it here. It’s dark. And lonely.”
Merrin’s heart broke for the girl, and turned to face her as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You don’t have to be afraid,” she stated before summoning the fires within her to physically manifest into a glowing green orb that she shifted into being and let loose to float ahead of them as a source to drive back the darkness. “Better?” Kata’s look of fear shifted into one of curiosity and uncertain joy as she watched the flecks of green embers flitter around them after the orb like butterflies. And once she smiled, Merrin motioned for them to continue and stayed by her side.
“You’re very pretty,” Kata stated in a shy tone. Unsure of how to reply, Merrin offered her a small smile as they continued after the orb, and silently prayed to the Winged Goddess to protect the child.
~*~
As they stepped out of the light into the shadowed corridor, Cal glanced around as tendrils of darkness slithered along its edges through the Force as if trapped in place, and studied Kata as she tensed at the sudden chill in the air. She’s sensitive too, he realized as Merrin comforted her with a display of her magic. No wonder Bode was so desperate to hide her. Still doesn’t excuse what he did though. But the feeling of BD landing onto his shoulder drew his attention back to the present, and when he glanced at his droid he noticed him watching Kata and Merrin closely. Cal couldn’t help but smile at the pair, but felt the slit-second of happiness vanish as they crossed back into the light and Merrin’s orb extinguished.
The temple’s inner chamber was far more imposing than he had imagined, with sculpted balconies high above on either side so as to look down upon the platform they crossed. Some of the sections had begun to crumble away with shrubs and even trees growing where Jedi were meant to stand. But it was the central column at the back of the room that was the main focal point. Etched with ancient oaths and decreed truths among its geometric patterns and grandiose golden metalworks, a strip of blinding white light at its center cast into shadow the pattern of what looked to be a holocron positioned vertically on its side above a smaller stone balcony. And while he’d been in rooms designed similarly for lectures or to view a rising padawan’s performance during their trials for Knighthood, he had never been in one that felt like it was meant to judge one’s moral worth. But as a familiar silhouette stepped into view and stood facing the blinding light, Cal knew that there was no place more fitting for their potential final confrontation. In this sacred space they would both be tested.
“Kata!” Bode yelled as he turned. But even from where they stood the shock of seeing them alive was visible. “How did you get here?”
Holding out his hand to signal Kata to stay put, Cal stepped forward to address him. “It wasn’t easy.”
With a snarl, Bode leapt from the balcony and landed with a cushioned thud, then strode toward them pointing an accusing finger. “You shouldn’t have followed us.”
“Papa, don’t!”
“Stay back, Kata! This is the only way to keep you safe,” he shouted, drawing from his holster one of his blasters.
At his side, Merrin shifted into a loose stance so as to block Kata from view, and quickly Cal stepped forward again and held out a cautionary hand. “She will be safe,” he swore. “I promise, Bode. But listen to me. It’s over.”
“Lay down your weapons,” Merrin commanded.
“This planet will be a haven for those hunted by the Empire. Including Kata, and you. But you have to surrender. Now.”
As they all waited with bated breath, Cal watched as Bode’s angered expression softened into one of regret. “Go outside, Kata,” he ordered in a softer tone. And in that moment Cal felt the hair on the back of his neck rise as the Force around them shifted uneasily.
“Listen to them, please!” Kata begged.
“ENOUGH,” Bode shouted as he took command of the energy surrounding the bridge and pulled, causing the section his own daughter stood on to crumble. With a quick glance back Cal watched as Kata ran back toward the corridor and stood in fear at its entrance, then looked back at Bode as he again ignited Dagan blade and held it at the ready. “I WILL DECIDE WHAT’S BEST FOR MY FAMILY!” And in the blink of an eye Merrin’s spear was already in her hand as she lunged for him. “You should’ve stayed out of this,” Bode hissed as he swung the red blade up to block her attack and force her back with a shove. “And stay away from Kata!”
Igniting his saber as he ran, Cal threw out his hand and sent a burst of energy through the Force to push aside Bode’s arm as he aimed his blaster at her, then pressed down hard as their blades clashed. “I don’t know how you survived,” Bode snarled through clenched teeth. “But you don’t have what it takes to defeat me.” And instantly Cal felt himself pushed back as Bode leaned backward just as Merrin and her dagger appeared between them. As Cal regained his footing he felt his heart clench as Bode swung out his arm and snatched Merrin into a headlock, and shifted her around to use as a body shield while he turned his blaster toward him and fired.
“Let her go, Bode,” Cal shouted as he made sure the deflected shots hit the stone around them. But as he shuffled to find an opening, Merrin slammed the heel of her boot into Bode’s knee and spun in his grasp to slash her dagger across his cheek before disappearing into thin air.
“Distract him,” she commanded. “I will strike from the shadows.” And as Bode swore and smeared away the streaks of blood, Cal dashed forward and struck out with his blade, causing Bode to stumble back as he defensively parried his blows. But when he tried to change his form to land an actual hit, Bode dashed to the side and tossed a grenade at his feet. Jumping up into the air to flip and dash out of harm's way, as soon as Cal landed he felt the energy around him cluster tightly against his neck, and was quickly lifted into the air and thrown over the platform’s edge. From behind him BD trilled in fear, but a spark of green flame caught his eye and he watched as Merrin reappeared then vanished again right as the same green portal she’d used on Jedha swirled into being and carried them away from harm and back around for a diving swoop. And as the magic portal collapsed, Cal reappeared right in front of Bode and latched onto his shirt to let the momentum carry them both over the edge and crash onto the training platform below.
Stunned, Cal was only vaguely aware that his droid was no longer on his back as he rolled to a stop, but quickly scrambled to his feet and reignited his saber as Bode did the same and flung it in his direction. As he brought his blade up to deflect the spinning sword, Bode charged and jumped at the last second to land a double heeled kick against his right shoulder. And as Cal spun with the impact and yelped from the pain, Bode grabbed ahold of his blade and swung it down. But right before it could burn through him, Merrin’s spear materialized and stopped it in its tracks, giving Cal the precious seconds he needed to regain his footing and land a sizzling cut across Bode’s shoulder as Merrin sent him spinning before vanishing back into the shadows.
“Damn you! Why couldn’t you just die along with the rest of them,” Bode yelled as he chucked another grenade onto the floor and limped back to charge a bolt. But before he could fire, Cal Force pushed the grenade back at him and stood at the ready as it detonated and sent a ploom of dust and debris spraying into the air. Yet despite his inability to see, Cal felt the Force urge him to move. And right as he rolled to the side, Bode came leaping out from the haze and slammed his lightsaber into the floor and flung broken chunks of the charred rock at him. Cal dove forward and swung out his blade, burning just the edge of Bode’s shirt as he spun back. But as Cal got to his feet Merrin reappeared again and spun the end of her spear into his gut, knocking Bode even further back toward the wall.
As Bode quickly threw out his hand, Cal jerked his head to the side as Bode’s blaster spun past into his hand, and brought his sword up to deflect the close range blast before clashing it again against Dagan’s old blade. Struggling to fend off both of them, Bode sent a wave through the Force and shuffled back, and fired off another shot at Merrin. But in the blink of an eye she disappeared and reappeared again. And as her hands began shaping her magic and causing the chunks of loosened rock around them to levitate, Cal threw out both his hands to force Bode back against the wall as Merrin began sealing him in place.
With a roar of pure rage, Cal felt the Force around them warp towards Bode, then push outward - knocking both of them back - as Bode tore himself free from his confines. And as he did so a large crack snaked its way up the wall and onto the already damaged bridge above. Over the creaking rumble came Kata’s high-pitched scream, and in a flash Merrin vanished from view. Kata? Cal thought worriedly as he tried to spot her as the bridge collapsed. But then he noticed Merrin’s swirl of ichor embers on the other side, and let out a breath of relief as she reappeared with Kata in her arms.
Brrrriiiii beeeeep! BD-1 buzzed in a panic. Instead of looking to see where his friend was, Cal spun around and flung himself into Bode as he tried to line up a shot straight into Merrin’s back, and knocked his blaster out of his grasp before grappling for control of his saber hilt as Bode reignited it next to his face. But in an unforeseen move, Bode let go of his weapon and slammed down his fist upon his forearm then bashed his head into his face. Cal felt his head rock back as pain radiated through his nose and cheekbone, and his vision blurred as he felt his feet slip out from under him and his back slam into small shards of rock. But before his mind could make sense of what had just happened, Bode’s face loomed over his then sent his head jerking to the side. On instinct, Cal raised his arms and braced them in front of his face as Bode continued to pin him in place and punch him repeatedly. And it was only for a brief second that he paused - causing Cal to open his eyes just long enough to see BD-1 standing over him, pleading for Bode to stop - before he slapped the droid aside and began to punch him again with all his might.
“Bee-Dee!” Cal yelled as he closed his eyes and flinched from the constant barrage of pain. But with each blow he felt himself grow more and more desperate. Desperate to save his friend. Desperate to keep Merrin and Kata safe. Desperate to make the pain stop. And a growing desire to inflict the same level of pain he felt back onto Bode. “STOP!” He roared as he felt a surge of power course through his entire being and manifest itself into a blast of energy that pushed Bode off and froze him in midair. Opening his eyes and slowly rising to his feet with his dominant hand raised, Cal could feel Bode fighting to manipulate the Force around him enough to let him grab his blasters, but was struggling to do so.
Now’s the chance to end it, hissed the voice he’d heard on Nova Garon. All you have to do is take control. Only you have the power to stop him. Cal felt his heart thud in his chest as the pain in his body subsided as the voice grew louder, yet hesitated even as Bode’s arms slowly extended toward him with both fingers on the triggers. Kill him, the voice demanded. But instead Cal flexed his finger and bent Bode backward as he slammed him into the ground and short circuited the focusing crystals within each blaster. And just as quickly as the dark side’s power flowed into him, Cal let it drain away - causing his pain to return but his mind to clear. And as Bode groaned and struggled to roll himself onto his feet, Cal held out his hand and summoned his saber hilt back into his hand.
“Heh,” Bode huffed as he bent down to pick up his lightsaber. “Look at you, tapping into the dark. And yet you still can’t bring yourself to finish the job. You’re just too weak. So why don’t you do me a favor, and just DIE,” he screamed as he dashed forward with his blade extended. Bracing his footing, Cal knocked the blade to the side and slid his own up toward the hilt, and grabbed at Bode’s wrist and again wrestled for control. But this time he went on the offensive and sent his already pounding head slamming into Bode’s and rolled him off to the side to slash a burning streak across his side. “GAH,” Bode yelped as he shuffled away. And in a desperate attempt, he swung his lightsaber haphazardly to keep Cal at bay.
But Cal knew it was over, and slammed down on the blade with all his might till it deactivated and fell from Bode’s grasp. And so as to make sure he didn’t move, he held his blade at his throat. “Don’t put this on your daughter,” Cal pleaded.
“Bode,” Merrin called calmly as she reappeared with Kata by her side. “We know what it’s like to grow up alone.”
“Please listen to them, Papa!” Kata urged as she stepped closer.
Looking at her, Bode’s dark eyes grew glassy as his lip began to quiver, and after a moment he looked up at him and whispered, “Alright. And when the Empire comes? Will you be able to protect my little girl?”
Cal stared at him as he wrestled with the truth, then pressed his lips together in reply. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to. It was that if there was one thing he’d learned from his failures in trying to save Cere, Cordova, and Master Topal, it was that you couldn’t keep such a promise no matter how hard you tried.
And as Bode’s face twisted into one of devastated amusem*nt, he slid his eyes back onto his daughter and gave his head a subtle shake. “I’m sorry, Kata. I tried.”
When she didn’t respond, Cal looked over at her, and instantly felt his sword arm jerked forward and his saber hilt ripped from his hand as Bode’s arm wrapped around his neck.
“No, Papa!” Kata shouted as she ran toward them.
“Stay back,” Bode demanded as he threw out his free hand and sent her flying through the air to slam into the platform’s stone edge. And as Cal fought to free himself from Bode’s grasp he watched as the girl’s body went limp and Merrin jumped into action; forming her dagger in her hand mid leap. But instantly she was brought to a halt as a sticking gagging sound escaped her and her free hand clawed desperately at nothing around her throat. Cal kicked his legs and flailed as he tried to disrupt Bode’s concentration, but with how hard Bode was pinning him in place even he was struggling to get enough oxygen.
No! Merrin! Please! Not her too, his mind screamed as she let out a small gasp and her thrashing legs slowed. I can’t lose her! I won’t! I WON’T! And with all his might he curled in on himself and slammed his knee into Bode’s jaw - causing him to lose his focus just long enough for Merrin to drop to her feet and fling her dagger.
“Gah,” Bode cried as he twisted to the side from its impact. And the second Cal felt him loosen his grip he shuffled out from under his grasp and scrambled toward his blaster that now lay next to his droid, and spun onto his feet just in time to find Bode aiming his own blaster at him. But when Bode pulled the trigger all it did was spark. And without further hesitation, Cal fired and watched as the bolt burnt its way the man’s chest through just above his heart.
As Bode lay groaning in pain, Cal glanced at Merrin as she rubbed at her neck, and felt a swell of anger washed over him. And as he slid his gaze back onto Bode’s fear-blown eyes, Cal took too steps closer and fired again - this time aiming straight at his heart. And just like that, Bode was dead. All the anger and desire for vengeance that had kept him going and gotten him this far drained out of him, and with nothing left, Cal dropped his blaster and let out a huff of disbelief.
I killed him. I actually killed him. And Kata- She’s… What have I done?
“Cal,” Merrin’s voice called to him. But for some reason it sounded almost as though she was under water; his breathing strung out, his chest aching almost as much as his lungs. It felt like he was stumbling or maybe falling - he wasn’t sure. “Cal!” Merrin’s voice shouted again. And now he was shaking. Shaking because she was shaking him. “Cal, snap out of it! We still need you! We need to get Kata and Bee-Dee One back to the Mantis.”
“I killed him,” he muttered in disbelief.
“I know,” she said as she stepped into his line of sight and held his gaze until he actually shifted his eyes onto her. “But he gave you no other choice,” she insisted. “What’s done is done. But Kata and Bee-Dee are still with us. And right now they need our help.”
With a slow nod Cal blinked away from her and forced himself to look at his droid who chirped questioningly while trying to drag his damaged leg and shift his broken antenna. “Buddy,” he mumbled as he bent down to gently pick him up. And as his droid asked if he was alright, Cal held him close to his chest and looked over at Merrin with teary eyes as she drew open another portal and scooped Kata into her arms.
“Quickly,” she nodded towards the swirling green circle. And without looking back, Cal followed after her and felt himself flown over the war torn valley and through the winding paths till he was dropped in front of the Mantis. “Greez! Grab the bacta!” Merrin shouted as she hurried up the ramp.
“What- Wait, who is-” Greez asked as he threw down his spatula and cooking-mit.
“Bode’s daughter,” Merrin replied as she carefully twisted her way down the hall to lay Kata upon the cot. “She was knocked unconscious, I think.”
Without even muttering a greeting, Greez hurried past them both and swung into the refresher to dig through the medical supplies. “Stay right here, bud,” Cal instructed as he stepped over to the workbench and sat BD on top of it, then moved to crouch next to the cot. “Is she still breathing?”
“Yes. But she is bleeding. And I do not know the severity of her injury.”
“I’ve got patches and spray,” Greez announced as he held up handfuls of both.
Plucking a bottle of spray from his hand, Merrin then spat into her palm, causing Greez to wince in disgust, and sprayed the bacta on top of it before handing it back to him and rubbing her palms together as she closed her eyes and began to chant in Dathomiri. “Te’ole alvea wingatte, ‘es ack’ta va’sh ‘ool des ch’a’ha. Gat’a’maath! Te’ole, sass’tath! Va’sh ‘ool des ch’a’ha. Heh’ole. Heh’ole. Breth’na ‘oon dath. Alvea wingatte. Alvea Gat’a’maath. Heh’ole.”
From her wrists, green streaks of flame snaked over her hands and fingers, and as she pulled her palms apart the bacta-spit mixture sizzled until it was nothing more than a shimmering cloud of smoke swirling in her hands that Merrin then blew into the girl’s hair. And once she opened her eyes Cal could see the green flames of her ichor flicker within her irises as she weaved the fiery tendrils through the smoke as if pulling green strands of thread that crackled with boiling drops of blood.
“Wow,” Greez breathed as the strange cloud began to vanish and Merrin’s fires died away, leaving nothing but the faintest smell of burnt bread and iodized iron behind. “Did whatever that was work?”
Cal watched silently as Merrin’s eyes turned back to their normal brown as she leaned back and took in a deep breath, and gently placed his hand over hers so as to offer his support. “Yes,” she breathed as she reached out to carefully move back Kata’s black hair to reveal a sealed bright pink scar; just like the one on his chest. “She should make a full recovery. But she will probably not feel well when she wakes. I will have to brew her a potion to help with any aches or nausea she might have.”
“You probably saved her life,” Cal stated, offering her a sad smile.
“We both did, I think,” she replied, shifting her hand so as to hold his.
Cal let his smile fade as he shifted his eyes back onto Kata’s youthful face, and was again reminded that now, thanks to him, she was an orphan too. “I’m so sure about that,” he whispered as he felt the sting of tears return.
“Do not blame yourself, Cal. Kata begged her father to listen to reason, and he refused, despite all the chances you gave him. It was Bode’s actions that got her injured. Not yours.”
“So I take it Bode’s…” Greez stated, letting his unfinished question hang in the air.
“He’s dead,” Cal confirmed as he rose to his feet and turned toward his workbench and bent down to grab a crate of spare droid parts and his multi-tool.
“Uh-huh. Well, guess we all assumed it would come to that. What about the compass?”
Cal squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled through his nose. He’d completely forgotten about the compass; the sole reason they’d even chased after Bode to begin with. “There, uh, wasn’t enough time to see if it was still on him. But once I’m done with Bee-Dee’s repairs I’ll head back and look for it.”
“I can go with you,” Merrin offered. But Cal quickly turned and shook his head.
“No. This is something I need to do alone. …Bode was still a Jedi. He deserves a pyre just like the others,” he explained as he turned back to his bench and began setting out all the pieces he’d need. “I’ll bring him back, and the compass, and begin preparations. The end goal was for all of us to make it to Tanalorr. And now we have.”
After a moment of silence and as he began to remove BD’s damaged leg, Cal could feel Greez’s presence drift away as he left the engine room. But a part of him was grateful that Merrin had chosen to stay. And when he leaned down to grab more wiring he glanced back and found her sitting on the cot with Kata’s head resting in her lap, softly brushing the girl’s hair away from her wound as she hummed pieces of the song they’d heard her sing.
