I finally beat the game and was thinking, what if Trilla wasn't killed by Vader in the end? What if Cal managed to save her in time? Thus, the birth of this story came about XD (I blame my muse once again)

Summary: Cal Kestis managed to escape Fortress Inquisitorius with Cere and a redeemed Trilla. With the Holocron destroyed to prevent the Empire from tracking down the Force-sensitive children, Cal and his crew begin searching for alternate ways to weaken the Empire. Yet Cal is not safe, for Emperor Palpatine has tasked Darth Vader with bringing him back...with the intention of turning him into his new Inquisitor.

Rating: T

Setting: AU (divergence from main storyline in the game)

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Star Wars franchise aside from my own plot.


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Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order: Redemption

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Chapter XXXII

Dreading the confrontation with the Grand Inquisitor, Cal followed after the Third Sister and Entiran. The Jedi's mind was on overdrive as he went over plan after plan to get Jayna and Trilla out of the Fortress with their lives intact. Why couldn't things be easy for him for once in his life? As he walked through the corridor, Cal could feel Entiran's eyes skewering him from his peripheral vision.

"Dia, who on Earth is your new partner?" Entiran asked, indicating towards Cal with his head.

"The newly promoted First Brother," Cal heard his 'partner' reply, shocking Entiran as he whipped his head to look at him.

Cal was awfully glad he had a helmet on at that moment because if Entiran figured out it was him...well he didn't want to think about what would happen.

"When was he promoted? I thought Lord Vader always kept that position withheld for a reason."

Dia shrugged her shoulders.

"Don't ask me. We're just following orders," she said.

Entiran looked at Cal suspiciously as they turned the corner of the corridor.

"So...what's your name, First Brother?"

'Calm down Cal! Think of something! Anything!'

"I have no obligation to give you my name, Sixth Brother."

The abrupt coldness that came out of Cal's mouth stunned even himself but the Jedi kept calm and continued following the Third Sister. It seems his aloofness was enough to prevent Entiran from questioning further, since his rank was higher than the latter's. The trio stood in front of a door and Dia raised a hand to knock on the door, only entering upon hearing the Grand Inquisitor give clearance to do so.

They entered the dimly lit room and knelt on the floor as the Grand Inquisitor turned to face them.

"Rise," he said.

Cal stood back up beside the Third Sister while Entiran stood behind as the Grand Inquisitor wished to speak to the duo first.

"Lord Vader has a new mission for you two," the Paun humanoid alien told them.

"We await our new orders," Cal said, forcing himself to play the part of a obedient Inquisitor.

"The new Force-sensitive girl...has proven to be more problematic than usual. Lord Vader wishes for you to take her back to Bracca and...speed things along. It seems she needs a little push to embrace the dark side. Here is a holocron with information pertaining to that girl that my scouts were able to dig up. Use it to your advantage," the Grand Inquisitor reached out with the Force and levitated a red holocron into Cal's hands.

"We will not fail you or Lord Vader," Dia said with a bow.

The Grand Inquisitor casually waved a hand to dismiss them at that moment, turning to speak to Entiran privately now that they were given their new mission. Cal left the room with the Third Sister.


Merrin sighed to herself and pull her legs up against her chest as she stared at the bed. Ever since Darth Vader stopped by and revealed there were organisms within her body, the Nightsister tried using her magick to expel them out but there were simply too many. Exhausted beyond belief after depleting her reservoir, the only thing Merrin could do was sleep to replenish it.

"Merrin?"

Cal's familiar and warm voice broke her out of her stupor.

The Nightsister smiled as the Jedi Knight came over to her and sat down on the bed, his right hand gently brushing strands of stray hair away from her face. Iridescent green swimming with exhaustion and weariness met concerned amber as the two locked gazes. Merrin rested a palm gently against Cal's cheek, her thumb caressing his skin repeatedly, motivating Cal to lean into her touch.

"You look so exhausted," she murmured, her thumb brushing under his eyes where dark circles were starting to form.

"I can say the same for you," Cal responded, pressing his forehead against hers.

They sat there in silence for a while until the latter suddenly pressed a hand against his abdomen with his eyebrows furrowed together in pain. Merrin pulled back and recognized what was going on. She pressed her own hand atop Cal's and channeled some of her magick into his body to soothe the pain, watching as his pained expression slowly relaxed.

"Is your wound bothering you again?" she asked quietly.

"Yea. It's been a while since it acted up but the pain is far more intense compared to when I was on the Mantis or Lothal. I think...being so close to Vader has something to do with it since he's on Nur currently."

Deliberating with herself for a while, Merrin took a deep breath and decided to tell Cal what Vader said to her. Just before she could open her mouth, Cal's imperial communicator went off, and a female voice told him to meet her at the hangar.

"Who was that?" Merrin frowned slightly after hearing the voice.

"My new partner. We need to go back to Bracca with the Force-sensitive Jayna as ordered by the Grand Inquisitor."

"Why?"

"I don't know...but I'm going to see if I can help her escape."


Jayna was grateful to be out of the torture chair after two Stormtroopers freed her from her bonds, only for gratefulness to morph into anticipation when she was then led towards the hangar by a small squad. Upon seeing the Third Sister standing beside a TIE and small transport, her anticipation became full-blown worry. It became clear at that moment she was to be taken somewhere.

"Where are you taking me? Let go!" she cried, struggling against her bonds.

"Quiet!" one of the Stormtroopers smacked her in the back of her head with the end of his blaster.

The sudden impact caused her to lurch forward, forcing Jayna to close her eyes and brace herself for the fall onto the ground. Instead her fall was broken by someone using the Force to hold her up.

"I can see you're still as feisty as ever. No matter, you will lose that spark soon enough," the Third Sister taunted, revealing herself to be the one holding Jayna up.

"Let her go Dia, we don't have time for this."

Cal's voice interrupted the Third Sister's as the Stormtroopers gave a short bow to the former as he walked into the hangar.

Dia scoffed behind her helmet and released Jayna from her hold, letting the latter fall onto the ground without a care. Two Stormtroopers on either side of Jayna hauled her back onto her feet, then one of them gave a harsh shove, pushing her up the ramp of the transport.

"Always the spoilsport," Dia grumbled to her partner.

"Let's get this over with," was all Cal said as he walked up to Dia's TIE Fighter.

"That's my ship!" she protested.

"We're going together in yours since Lord Vader didn't assign me a ship yet," Cal replied without looking over his shoulder.


Never in her life did Trilla expect to find herself back on Nur after escaping with Cal's help.

Yet here she was.

Imprisoned in one of the cells just like the first time she was brought here after being captured by the Empire's forces.

The claustrophobic conditions brought about repressed memories as Trilla huddled in a corner of the room.

"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no chaos, there is harmony," Trilla repeated quietly, reciting the Jedi Code in an attempt to calm herself.

Entiran promised to save her along with Cal and Merrin.

While she currently wasn't as trusting as she once was of him, Trilla knew she could do nothing while locked up. A heavy presence bore down on her like a thick rope, nearly suffocating Trilla as her body froze in place. The only orifices she could move were her eyes, and they immediately locked onto the ominous presence of Darth Vader descending down the flight of stairs to stand in front of her cell.

"Trilla Suduri, never would I expect to find you back on Nur after betraying the Empire," the Sith Lord said through every mechanical breath exhaled.

Her fear of him and the fact her body was being held in a Force hold prevented Trilla from saying anything.

"Have you forgotten how we deal with traitors such as yourself?" Vader continued, shutting off the power to her cell and levitating her out with the Force.

"I-I..." Trilla struggled to form a sentence.

Calling on the Force for strength and guidance, Trilla managed to snatch Vader's lightsaber from within his robes and ignited it, hoping to land at least one blow on the Sith Lord. Vader lifted a hand and blocked the lightsaber effortlessly with the Force, chuckling at the former's audacity at using his own lightsaber against him. He had to commend her for her courage. Many would have been scared speechless from being in his presence alone.

"I commend you for your bravery, but you are foolish in trying to oppose me."

Another flick of his wrist deactivated the lightsaber as Trilla dangled helplessly before the Sith Lord.

"Death would be too merciful for you. Your talents as an Inquisitor can still serve the Empire well..."

Several Stormtroopers led by Entiran emerged from one of the blast doors on the other end of the hall. Vader beckoned for them to come down, all the while keeping a careful watch on Trilla.

"Bring her back to the torture room...and re-instill obedience to the Empire to her. She still has use as an Inquisitor, and what she knows after escaping Nur will serve the Emperor's purpose further."


Bracca.

Jayna couldn't believe it.

She was being brought back to Bracca.

The unmistakable planet which was her home hovered into view when the transport exited from hyper jump.

Was she being set free?

No.

The Empire wasn't that generous.

There must be something more sinister behind this.

As she sat there in a corner of the transport with blasters trained on her, Jayna could feel her frustration grow and grow until something inside called out to her.

The voice was soothing, almost like a mother's whispers to her child. It wrapped around her mind, chasing away any anxiety and doubts that were floating like a cloud above her head.

"Do not fear my child. Reach out to the Force, let it be your strength, let it guide your hands. Do not be afraid, open yourself up. You are a Force-sensitive, rise in the Force and trust its will..."

A small gasp escaped her lips and Jayna quickly clamped her lips shut, her eyes darting around to see if the Stormtroopers had heard her.

They didn't.

"Who are you!? What do you want?!" she demanded.

"Trust in the Force my child. Open yourself up and embrace who you were born to be!"

The voice vanished from her mind after that but not before it wrapped around her body, giving her strength and power. Jayna closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm her nerves, then she tried doing what the voice suggested and reached out.

That's when she saw threads in the air, all connecting to her, and she slightly jerked her hand.

"Release me," she commanded, locking gazes with the Stormtrooper nearest her.

"What are you do-"

"Release me," she repeated in a firmer tone.

"Right. I need to release you from your bonds," the Stormtrooper walked over and undid the shackles around her wrists.

"Hey! What are you doing?" the other Stormtrooper demanded, returning to the back just in time to see Jayna being freed.

Wasting no time in letting them react, Jayna grabbed the blaster from the Stormtrooper who released her and fired off two shots, both piercing through the armor of the clones, dropping their bodies to the floor of the transport. Walking to the cockpit of the transport, Jayna pressed the barrel of the gun against the Stormtrooper's head and used the Force again.

"Do not alert the Inquisitors. You will continue your way to Bracca but you will drop me off at BracSec instead," Jayna ordered.

"I will drop you off at BracSec instead," the Stormtrooper confirmed.

Seating herself in to co-pilot chair, Jayna kept the blaster trained on the Stormtrooper in case he tried something funny. Perhaps now she could come up with a way to free herself from the Empire's grasp. However, she couldn't do it alone, which meant she had to call on an old friend for aid.

Using the communicator aboard the transport, Jayna punched in the corresponding code and waited until a familiar voice answered.

"Bryna! It's me!" she said excitedly.


To be continued...

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Until next chapter!

Celsius Fate~