Chapter Text
Cal stared at the holomap; he heard a bystander talk about aninquisitor straying the path around Koboh. It was the least he could do for the poor town. They've been through enough. He asked BD to close the holomap before running towards what the townsfolk said the inquisitor has last been. He rubbed his eyes.
<It's almost 2 PM> BD mentioned. <Should Cal tell that he will be gone?>
Cal shook his head. "I don't want them to wake up. They need the sleep."
<But so does Cal-->
"BD. Shh..." Cal quieted him down as he neared the location. A base. Great. B1 and BX droids surrounded the area.How the hell was I not able to detect this?He crouched and found a spot to grapple, above a BX droid. He aimed at the rock and let it pull him up. Cal rolled, ignoring the small pain that his shoulder protested about.
He breathed gently, slowly dropping down from the ledge and grabbing on the vines that grew from time and was above someone. Who he was looking for. Cal pursed his lips. Suddenly, a voice rang in his ear.
"Cal Kestis, where are hell are you?!" Cal cursed internally. He would have to answer later. Merrin would be mad, but she would have to wait. Cal silenced the coms, quieting the Dathomirian curses she spat out. He was above theinquisitor. He took a deep breath, trusted in his feet and hands, and dropped to theinquisitor, igniting his lightsaber and swiftly stabbing it into his neck. If killing was that easy normally, Cal would have been the number 1 Empire killer.
The droids stared at him for an silent moment, before a B1 shouted, "Get him!" The droids were easy to destroy, one flick of the wrist and the droid is scrap. The Force warned him of danger and he let it guide his body to the threat. He blocked the BX's blade and sliced it in the head. The last BX was posed to attack. A voice whispered behind his ear.
"Take the other one apart. Feel the power."
He shook his head. Before he could fully dodge it, the BX blade skimmed his arm. The blood wasn't flowing furiously. More like a small dribble. He ignored the pain. It was like a paper cut. He grabbed the BX to come, pullinghim with the force.It followed and when it swung he blocked easily. When the moment was right, he swung across the body. Watching the body slide apart, he breathed heavily.
<Does Cal need a stim?> BD inquired. <Is Cal ok?>
"I'm ok, buddy." He scratched the back of his ear, feeling something hard. He forgot; he silenced the coms. He turned it back on. He waited until there was another voice. "I swear if the kid got killed--" He sighed. The com quiets. He felt the Force guide him to an object, pulling the back of his brain. He followed its gentle tugs. He saw an object; it looked like a gun. It painfully reminded him of Bode.
He looked around. There was a tunnel, probably exploded by those roller bombs. He frowned. That could be a bunker for thousands, but all died by the Empire. He pushed away the anger
'Quickly! Into the chamber!'He felt the pistol in his hand. A shot rang out throughout his ears, making him flinch. BD looked around for danger.
'Jeb!'There was a sharp pain, just below his collarbone. It tingled throughout the pain. Sadness erupted through him, along with defeat.
'Stay with me, please!' He could faintly see the person who looked into the being-- no, his-- eyes.
'Goodbye, Jeb...' An explosion erupted.
It ended. Cal blinked. A headache was forming in his head. He hated when it happened, it was a pain to get rid of.
"Cal!" He jumped. He presses the button to speak, but hesitated for a few seconds. What was he afraid of?
"...Hi." He spoke softly.Seriously, Cal? You faced through thousands of stormtroopers, creatures, and other threats, but all you could say was 'Hi!?'He waited for a few seconds before he spoke again.
"I'm walking back. I just need to do something."
Greez sighed. "Kid--" He silenced the coms again.
<It's 2:23.> BD spoke. <Cal needs to sleep.>
Cal hummed, annoyed.Cal wrote a note on the door of the bystander's door, hoping that wasn't too creepy, not looking back at the mess he made. He walked back to theMantis. He saw Greez at the door, with both of his arms crossed. Cal sucked in between his teeth. Great. "Kid, what are you doing at 2 at night?"
"Um. I heard something about aninquisitor on Koboh. I went to get rid of it." He spoke. Why was he being treated like he was a kid.I'm karking twenty.BD tried to speak, but Cal cut him off. "I'm going to go back to bed, if you don't mind." Greez let him pass. "We're talking about this in the morning." Cal huffed. "Yeah, yeah." He shut the door before Greez could argue.
<I tried to tell Cal!> BD told. <Why didn't Cal listen?> He ignored the comments.
"Cal?" Kata opened the door. "Where were you? I woke up to the door opening."
Cal shook his head, ignoring the aching it gave in return. "I was just somewhere, you don't need to worry Kata."
Wow, you kill her father like he was nothing, and now you're lying to her? You're a really bad Jedi-- No, a really bad human.
He silenced that voice quickly. "Ok..." She walked back. He sighed. Cal rested his head on the pillow, letting sleep take hold of him. His headache faded. He knew it would turn into a migraine soon, but he was tired. He let himself drift in space, before he suddenly pummeled into the ground.
He was chained to a wall with handcuffs on his wrists, way too tight for circulation to flow.
"The experiment is awake, sir." He heard. Cal's breathing stopped. "BD?! Merrin!? Greez?!" He shouted before a hand clasped over his mouth. He stared into his eyes. It was him. His eyes were so red and so dark. "Cal Kestis. Give in." It breathed into his face. It felt like a winter breath. This couldn't be real.
"I know, I'm you. Shocking." Its-- no, his-- voice formed. "Give in." He felt pain. It felt like fire throughout his body. Cal dared to look. His lightsaber, filled with red, was sliced through him, just below the ribs. The being grabbed his hair and sucked in his breath. The voices of everyone that was dead because of him echoed; Gabs, the Twins, Cere, Bode--
Cal shot straight up, a scream bouncing off his throat. He breathed hard. His lungs hurt. He absently rubbed the spot that it stabbed into. His eyes stung. His head felt like it was on fire. He can't go back to sleep. Not yet. He carefully pulled BD from lap and set it on the bed. Good thing he was powered down. He checked the time. It was almost 6 in the morning. He sighed. Good enough.
~~~
He grabbed a mug from the kitchen to grab some caf before he felt a warm hand touch his shoulder. He knew it was Merrin, but he jumped netherless. "Sorry." She muttered before grabbing some caf with him. She motioned him to sit at the table. He followed absently. He couldn't stop thinking about the voice.
"--al. Cal." He blinked, ignoring the pain behind his eyes. "Sorry, sorry. What were you saying?"
Merrin frowned,concern hiding her anger, "I was asking why the hell you were gone in the middle of the night. Are you okay?" Cal nodded, ignoring thenausea that followed. Merrin blinked, raising her eyebrow.Of course she doesn't believe me, Cal almost laughed,I probably look terrible.Cal sighed. "No." Hehatedthe way she turned fully towards him, the way shelookedat him with kindness. It made him sick. He doesn't deserve this.
"Nightmare? Echo bothering you?" She asked.
"Kind of both. I can't sleep." Cal broke. "I've been having this headache too. The nightmare..." He pursed his lips, cutting himself off. He knew that he should tell Merrin, he promised if he felt that power he would... She didn't say anything about the nightmare. That was for another night, she thought. She knew he wasn't going to say just yet. She thought for a moment. "Come. Follow me." She took him to his room. She sat down on the bed before telling him to lay down. He rested his head on her chest, listening to her hearts beat. It calmed him down. He felt soft hands touch his temples. Cal closed his eyes. She knew what she was doing.
Merrin spoke inDathomirian, chanting a spell. Her hands got hotter but Cal relaxed. His migraine pain lessened. He sighed in relief. "We will talk later." She whispered, before singing a lullaby. It calmed him, no matter what language it was.Dathomirian calmed him down. He was out like a light before she finished the song.
