Chapter XXIV - The Way Home
Cal - somewhere near Stone Town, Ordel
It had to be the fourth time in a row where Cal tried to wash away the copious amount of rain that drenched his face, every attempt of it proving itself to be as fruitless as the one before. The storm gained strength, enough of it that the ends of his poncho flew along the gushes of wind in an irregular pattern. It hindered his movement, to put it mildly. Not to mention the way his hair tried to force itself down his visage, his strains besieging his eyesight at every opportunity.
''How are your wounds?''
Cal grabbed the hilt of his saber tighter.
No matter how hard he tried, he didn't manage to get rid off his master's words. Whether it truly was Force or nothing but paranoia, his spirit was scorched with uneasiness. Even if Cal imagined it all, it still didn't do anything to change the fact that perhaps there was some truth to it, a subtle way his subconsciousness tried to warn him. The fact that Trilla's eyes were practically glued to the pyramid-like artifact she found within the ruins didn't help to ease his uneasiness even remotely.
''I - '' he stuttered, his eyes not wishing to meet hers ''I'm alright, I believe. I'll just let Cere take a look at this back on the ship.''
He bit down on his lower lip with almost enough force to taste blood. It was the truth, in a sense. The first thing he'd do was to talk to Cere and seek her counsel. But it wouldn't be about his legs. Cere knew Trilla, even if she didn't open up to her as he thought she would've by now. Above all else, Cal knew Cere to be wise. And wisdom was something that the galaxy lacked right now.
''That would imply that we'd make it back to the ship in one piece. That infernal rain is trying my patience.''
Trilla huffed with annoyance, trying to swat away the drops of rain that attacked her skin. Cal emitted a deep sigh. How long has it been ever since meeting her for the first time? That faithful day where this - by every definition Cal could think of - insane journey began? He just hoped that after everything the two of them went through, he -
Something at the corner of his eyes caught his movement, like a slivery shadow creeping through the underwood. A pair of troopers marched through the treelines, their armor marked by the dirt of their shared surroundings. They carried heavy weapons, their canister-like backpacks marking them as flame troopers.
''Cere said that Ordel had a minimal imperial presence - that isn't minimal, is it?'' he asked calmly, steading his breath as he did so.
He didn't wish to fight. Not when it wasn't necessary. Trilla, however, seemed to have other plans.
''I'll take the one on the right.''
Cal tried to grab her, to stall her assault before it could begin. Yet she was quick, sprinting at her target with predatory speed as she ignited her lightsaber and thrust it through the soldier's chest, killing him outright.
Damn it, Trilla!
Trying to calm his nerves, Cal used the Force to lift the trooper on the left up from his feet, throwing him into a nearby tree with a satisfying thud, knocking him out cold. Once he ensured that there weren't any other immediate threats to worry about, he pushed himself away from cover, irritation spreading through his face as he walked towards Trilla.
''What are you doing?! We could've just let them pass, damn it!''
Trilla rolled her eyes at Cal, crossing her arms in front of her chest in a defensive manner as she punished him with a vindictive glare.
''Don't insult my intelligence. If I'm in need of a blood rush, I'll make sure to let you know. This isn't one.'' she stated coldly.
She kneeled down and turned the slain trooper over. He had a burning hole in his chest, the synthetic material of his armor standing no chance against Trilla's red blade. The muddy floor embraced the corpse in an unholy way, making his remains look more like something only heard in stories of terror. Cal looked away, not wishing to partake in that view any longer than necessary.
''If they're only two of them so far out of the city, they'll need some sort of communication. Given that we have none of our own, we could use that to reach Cere and others. Knowing imperial movement can't hurt either, especially during this weather.''
He sighed. Yes, he could understand where she was coming from. And although he could somewhat appreciate her intent, it was the way she achieved said intent that fueled his concerns further.
''Oh don't give me that look, Cal. I've been hunting you for quite some time, remember? You've killed plenty of my troopers with astonishing efficiency.''
Cal didn't know what unsettled him more. That she'd result to making such a low blow or that there could be some truth to her statement. He shook his head quickly. He couldn't deny that he killed before, of course not. He was a Jedi living under the rule of the Empire, after all. And before that, he served in the Clone Wars. But there was a difference between self-defense and -
''Don't. We have no time for this.'' she raised one of her hands, a small comlink now planted within her palm.
A grimace was all he could conjure up right now. They continued on their path, ensuring that they stayed well out of sight of whatever threat could possibly face them on the outskirts of Ordel. Yet there was something about the skyline of the city, so far away in the distance. Something he couldn't quite place, anyhow. Though it was difficult to see during such storm, it almost seemed like some of the buildings were transformed, somehow. Taller?
Keep it together, Kestis.
Sprinting ahead to keep up with Trilla's quick steps, he kept his head low, referring to her guidance as she tinkered with the stolen comlink.
''You said Cere taught you to do ... all that? The slicing, I mean.''
She raised her hand and waved him towards her, guiding them to a nearby river as she nodded once.
''Yes. During the Clone Wars, Cere thought it prudent to teach me certain skills that were not usually studied within the temple. We had mostly basic and some advanced lessons in technology, but slicing on that level? It was all her. Not to mention that we usually didn't know what to do between missions. I was ... never one to spend a lot of time with the troops. One day Cere just waltzed in, handed me some of her tools and ... honestly, she just watched with that rather annoying stare she is known for. It developed from there, really.''
And yet for all the concerns Cal had in that moment, the way she talked about Cere revealed a subtle vulnerability Trilla carried with her. Like little cracks in a wall, almost not visible to the mere eye. But they were there, even if they didn't last long.
''Got it. My master and I - '' he scratched his head ''well, it was basically a lot of training. However, I did spend a lot of time with the clones. Got to know a lot of them really well, as a matter of fact. And I know we weren't supposed to form deep bonds with them, emotional control and all that but ... Tapal, he just allowed it, you know? He was certainly stern and Force, he could be exhausting. But he ... he just pushed me to be more open with them. Even it if was controversial among the other Jedi.''
''Why do you believe that was?'' she asked in a neutral, yet slightly interested tone as she raised her comlink to the sky, observing it intensely.
That was a good question, he thought. Why did his master do anything? Tapal always wanted the best for him, that much he knew - that much everyone knew. But one couldn't analyze his modus operandi without going mad. Though many of his motives were a mystery, even to him, he brought results. So he just rolled along with it. At least until -
He shook those dark thoughts away from him and sighed.
''I don't know. Guess he always knew that our ... uhm, ''generation'' of Jedi was under a lot of pressure, perhaps more than even the council knew. He once mentioned that all of the politics and all of the systems changed so rapidly during the war - kings and queens lived and died, planets joined the Republic or left it - that the Jedi teachings never really managed to catch up, in a sense. Yeah, we were Jedi but we were also young. We just needed someone to talk to in between missions, someone to ask for counsel or to grieve that weren't our masters. ''
His words lingered in the air, no side raising their voices as they walked deeper into the forest and away from Ordel. Cal started to recognize some of the landmarks in his immediate surroundings, even if they somehow looked different, if only slightly.
Hurt my head harder than I thought, eh?
''Ironic, isn't it? I started to lose my faith in the order during the Clone Wars as well.'' she stated coldly ere she continued ''One day I was charting the galaxy with Cere, helping people however we could ... and then, so much just ... happened. One second to the next, we were shipped off and went to war. I was younger back then, perhaps. But still, it was just so utterly different. All out of a sudden, we carried military ranks, commanding an army we didn't know existed into a war with an enemy that attacked us because of ... bloody taxes and trade blockades? That's what I thought back then, at least. And as the war dragged on, some of the other apprentices told me stories of casualties and accidents, both within the Jedi and the civilian populace. Then those deaths became more and more frequent - and violent. Jedi betraying each other and executing their own clones? Jedi killing innocent people for some twisted ideological reason? I started to question a lot of things with every passing day and then, as the end of the war came closer, something happened in the temple. It made a lot of Jedi question their beliefs and their trust in the council.''
Cal reflected on that without ushering a single word. He was way younger at the end of the war as Trilla, even if he too had to endure his share of action up until this point. However, he and many others of his age group were mostly isolated from the politics of Coruscant. How couldn't they when they were still too young to have any tangible freedom. Add to that their masters were needed in the war, there wasn't really much time to return to the Inner Core. Some of the older and more experienced Padawans had more leeway in that regard, preparing for missions of their own that didn't require their masters. Cal wasn't surprised that Trilla picked up more about the inner workings of the war than him, especially with a master like Cere.
''What happened? In the temple, I mean.''
She planted her feet firmly on the ground and lowered her head, letting go of a defeated sigh that she tried to suppress.
''You didn't hear, did you? One of the older Padaw - ''
Her words were shattered midair as she gasped, dread and anger spreading through the Force in equal measure. Feeling her turbulent emotions through the Force, he sprinted towards her once more, making up on the distance between them with potent speed. What could possibly invoke such emotions, he dreaded to ask himself as he crept closer. And then he saw the source of her suffering - and it tore him apart from the inside.
They arrived at the clearing that harbored the Mantis, or what was left of it. Its rusty carcass sat there in eery silence, mud and roots consuming it like an animal lusting for blood. The nose of the ship was gone, crushed under a gigantic boulder that tore apart everything that dared to stand in its way. The rest of the craft didn't fare any better, even if its fate was a slower one. Nature had claimed the rest of the ship for its own, harboring vines and plants inside and outside that were swung around by the everlasting storm.
''What ... what happened here?''
Cal could feel his legs grow weak as fear claimed his mind, his thoughts drifting instantly to the rest of the crew. He ran like a madman, using the Force to propel the weakened loading ramp of the Mantis wide open. The ship's belly didn't have as much dirt as the outside, yet chaos still reigned supreme in the halls he called home. Shards of glass and pieces of synthetic material were spread throughout the ship, its innards looking more than well-aged ruins like the lively ship it once was. However, there were a couple of pelts spread out on the kitchen floor that caught his attention, a heating unit lying in its center coupled with some tools that he knew belonged to him.
What the ...
A push that felt like being hit by a cargo train threw him off of his feet, throwing him down the hall as loud footsteps echoed through the ship with a menacing presence. Cal cringed in pain, pulling his lightsaber as his sight returned to him slowly. There was a hulking creature running towards him, its face covered in a strange primal mask carved out of wood. Its body was concealed behind a mixture of leather, bones and feathers, the material of the makeshift armor giving away harrowing sounds as it got closer to Cal.
He took a deep breath and spread his hand outwards, a wave of Force energy making its way outwards, throwing the ever faster-approaching attacker down the hall. Quickly he stood up and ignited his lightsaber. The orange light of his blade dispelled some of the darkness around him, giving him a better look at the attacker.
''Stand back. I mean you no harm!'' he shouted well-meant yet certainly desperate.
The creature stood still at that, tilting its head somewhat before it did something that made his jaw drop. It too pulled out a lightsaber with a familiar design, the model of it no doubt resembling the Inquisitor-issued lightsabers Trilla used. As it ignited them, however, something that he has never once seen before happened. Its color wasn't red - or any other color he has seen before. It was a pure white, both of its ignited end resembling the moonlight above in the skies.
''You ... after all that time. Are you fucking kidding me, Jedi?''
The white light removed any remaining shroud of darkness within the sheep, revealing that the creature's arms - a Dowutin no doubt - to be of synthetic nature.
It's her.
He didn't have time to think about that disturbing discovery. It was the Ninth Sister, Inquisitor of the Empire. And suddenly, Cal knew what happened to the others. It made his blood boil. Through narrow breaths, he grabbed his lightsaber with as much strength that his knuckles turned white, resembling Ninth Sister's blade with an uncanny irony. He felt anger building up inside of him, anger that was only amplified as he remembered the faces of those he thought lost. Yet at the back of the mind was a touch, a calmness that spread through his body. Cal closed his eyes and steadied his breath before entering a defensive posture, preparing his blade to defend himself.
Ninth Sister came closer, the bones of her armor clinking alongside her steps.
''So what. You came to finish the job? Are you on their side now?''
Cal raised his lightsaber and pointed the tip of it towards her, his mind trying to fend off the wrath that built up inside of him.
''What did you do to the others?! Damn it, tell me!''
Her sharp voice chipped away at his illusions of calamity as she answered.
''Don't play games with me, Jedi. I earned this ... and I won't go back. Not after what happened.''
With a quick swing, Cal darted forwards and brought his sword down towards Ninth Sister. She raised one hand and blocked his strike with relative ease, using the other hand to hit him with her bare fist, throwing him back once more.
''Come then, Jedi. I will not let you ... twist her as the Empire tries.''
A growl that could only be described as animalistic echoed through the remains of the Mantis as she charged with all of her might, her white blade desperately trying to meet his own. All out of sudden, however, a twisted coldness slipped through the countless cracks of the ship's hull. Ninth Sister was lifted off of her feet in the middle of her attack, a sickening gurgling sound dashing out of her mouth as her metal hands wandered towards her throat, as if she tried to claw away at something that wasn't quite there. Trilla entered the ship, her hand raised towards the Inquisitor as panic danced over Ninth Sister's face.
''Y-You ... no, please. I ... no. I need to ... protect her. Please.''
Ninth Sister's ferocity disappeared, replaced by unfiltered pain. There was something in her voice that made Cal recoil, however. There weren't any traces of sadism or ambition he knew Ninth Sister for - there was something else. Something more underlying. And then her face turned towards him. And even though her eyes were hidden behind the strange mask, he could almost feel her eyes resting on him. The coldness radiating off of Trilla enclosed the entire room, yet as she looked at him pleadingly, there was something else. Something stemming from the Ninth Sister - and beyond her. It was a plea, a well-meant prayer that was lost in Ninth Sister's throat as Trilla's attack grew more restless.
She's innocent.
''Trilla, don't! Stop it!''
Yet she didn't listen. Trilla might have physically stood in front of him, but the woman he got to know since the Fortress Inquisitorius was gone. Replaced by a machine driven by only hatred and anger, wishing to decimate the life that she literally kept in her hand. As if he stood in a freezing blizzard, Trilla was surrounded by a whirlwind of unspeakable coldness, the Dark Side spreading through their surroundings like cancer.
Cal pushed his hand out once more, calling upon the Force to propel Trilla away, disrupting her chokehold and throwing her towards the remains of Greez's aquarium. Ninth Sister dropped like an apple that fell from a tree, angling for breath like a fish outside of water as she took deep breath after deep breath.
''She killed them all. She killed them all. And unlike you, I'm not as weak as to be bound by mercy.''
Trilla pulled herself up quickly, igniting her lightsaber and turning to Ninth Sister. The Inquisitor pulled herself into the nearest corner, her hands wandering up and down her throat before she weakly lifted one of her hands.
''I ... didn't. I didn't kill anyone. I'm ... I found this ship like that. After the ... explosion. I ... I only need to protect her.''
There was no hate or betrayal hiding in her words. Cal could only see a woman - a defeated soldier - bartering for her life. Without a second thought, he put himself between them, every cell of his being hoping that the trust in both Trilla and the Ninth Sister wasn't misplaced.
''How dare you, Kestis. She killed Cere!''
Trilla shouted at him like never before. He saw her enraged during their fights but this was different. This wasn't pure fury, Cal thought. This was her being hurt. And she was about to lash out, no matter who was caught in the crossfire.
''She didn't! Let her explain herself.''
She stepped closer, her red saber mere inches away from his body.
''Trilla. Please. The Dark Side has clouded your judgment. I know her words to be true!''
''I've been here for months. I have no idea ... no idea where your allies are.''
One sentence. One sentence was enough to anchor both Cal and Trilla back in reality. His eyelids blinked rapidly in confusion as he turned towards the Ninth Sister, her lightsaber resting before her as she knelt in the corner.
''The Empire started to dig up more on the temple. I couldn't allow that to happen. I found your ship and claimed it for my own. But that was ... so many months ago. I'm sorry, I don't know where your crew is.''
Months?
Cal looked at Trilla and Trilla looked at Cal, two faces loaded with confusion meeting each other as their brains went into overdrive. He could feel the honesty in Ninth Sister's words - and the way Trilla started to twitch suddenly, her aggressive glare turning more and more into confounding matching his own, told him that she felt it as well.
''What are you talking about? Is this some sort of game?'' Cal asked with enough uncertainty to fill the innards of the ship twice over.
''No ... please, believe me. I think it was ... half a year ago? I've been hiding in the woods for another couple of months before that. Then I found your ship, ruined and without anyone to claim it.''
Ninth Sister's face wandered over to Trilla, grabbing her lightsaber precautionary as she did so.
''After our fight in the temple, I mean. I ... I saw you. I jumped through that portal and then ... well, you remember the rest.''
''No, I don't!'' Cal added hastily.
This didn't make any sense. What was she talking about? Months? It couldn't have been more than a day or two after the explosion in the mountains. This had to be some sort of trick, confusing them until she -
Quickly his hands wandered to his face. But how could he actually feel her telling them the truth? His eyesight danced from one corner to the next, looking at something that could help them. And then it dawned on him. The way the vines rested on the hull of the Mantis, the dirt on the inside of the ship that became as hard as stone. Ordel's skyline looking the same, yet different. Even their way up here - Ninth Sister was telling the truth.
''Force.'' Cal exclaimed starstruck, bobbling his heads up and down as he waltzed over to a nearby wall, putting his back against it as he glared into the air with empty eyes.
This was the truth. The actual truth - an impossibility that just became possible.
''I ... sense your confusion. The both of you. You ... you can't remember?'' Ninth Sister asked carefully, knowing that she was treading on eggshells with Trilla in the room.
''What do you think I'm feeling?!'' Trilla spat without mercy, pointing her fist towards the Inquisitor.
''Then I believe that I should explain. Perhaps we can find ... common ground in all of this.''
Ninth Sister pointed in the space in front of her, inviting both of them to sit down in a non-verbal way.
Force be damned. What have we gotten ourselves into?
AN: I swear the current state of global affairs is so demoralizing when it comes to writing. I wouldn't have written this chapter if it wasn't for your reviews!
#Guest: That's so nice of you to say, thank you. They didn't die - not from their perspective, at least. But nobody is ever truly gone, right?
#jtscores: I'm happy that I could entertain you for those last couple of days! God knows we all need something to forget everything happening around us. Thank you for helping me to put this chapter out and thank you for becoming part of this journey!
