Chapter Fifteen: Kairi's Holocron
Running deep into the Kashyyyk forest, Kairi wanted to get away from the others even after waking up from her recovering sleep.
In order for her to be stronger and not have Cal's protection anymore, she wanted to prove to everyone that she can face her own battles and have that perfect Jedi mindset at the moment.
Feeling the grass underneath her bare feet as she ran, a smile was on her face as she felt like she had the freedom to do whatever she wanted just like back on Coruscant during her small breaks.
Hearing a waterfall nearby, Kairi headed towards the loud roaring sound of falling water as she managed to find her way to the bottom of it where there was a huge lake underneath it.
"Wow…" Kairi whispered, as she held her bow and arrows close to her, before heading towards the lake. "This looks like the perfect place for me to train and meditate. Our enemies are getting stronger and I must have the courage to face them." She responded to herself once more, after placing her bow and arrows down next to a log.
Moving closer to the water, Kairi noticed a dead Stormtrooper floating in the lake which gave her an idea. Quickly grabbing vines and some driftwood, she quickly tied the dead Trooper onto it before using her strength to lift it up and stick the wood into the grassy ground.
"Perfect." She whispered as she wiped her dirty hands off and had her hands on her hips.
As she was just about to light a fire with some leftover wood, Kairi felt something off…
Like someone or something was calling out to her from behind.
Slowly turning around, Kairi heard someone singing quietly in a strange language, but she somehow recognized it.
"That's… a Nightsister's voice." Kairi whispered, thinking it was in a Dathomirian language.
Moving closer towards the lake, Kairi felt her forehead symbol starting to glow as she narrowed her eyes at the watery pool until she saw something in the water.
She saw a glowing green cube that was in the bottom of the lake which happens to be a Jedi Holocron.
"A holocron…" Kairi responded, thinking that this was the clue of finding out about her hidden past. "But what does a Nightsister have to do with a holocron? Their magik is dark." She whispered to herself, before she saw Iris who appeared in front of her in the water.
"Here… let me help you, Young Jedi." Iris responded in a gentle voice, before Kairi slowly took her hand which led her to having her feet in the water. "Don't worry… You won't drown. I'm here to protect you." She stated, before Iris used the Force to pull a log over in front of Kairi to use as support.
Gently holding on, Kairi slowly followed Iris into the middle of the lake… until the 16 year old Jedi Padawan shrieked out when she got electrocuted from behind, causing her to turn her head while holding onto her stinging left shoulder.
"Well, well, a Jedi! I've been looking for you all day." A Purge Trooper with an Electrostaff responded as he was staring at Kairi through his helmet, which caused the 16 year old silver eyes to widen in shock of this unknown enemy.
"Kairi, swim away!"
Cal's voice was heard as he emerged from the trees to do a surprise jump attack, managing to land a strike at the Purge Trooper.
"Oh there's two now?" The Purge Trooper asked tauntingly as Kairi tried to swim away from the shore while Iris was helping her push the log.
Kicking her feet, Kairi managed to get back to using the log as a support before the two made it to the middle of the lake.
"Wait, I don't have a underwater breather." Kairi informed the Force Ghost as she still kept her arms onto the log.
"Don't need one." Iris responded.
"Huh?" Kairi started to say, before Iris took control of the younger Jedi's body as her silver eyes were rolled to the back of her head.
Diving down deep and away from the brawl that was still taking place upon the shore, Cal managed to parry each one of his attacks and quickly avoided his heavy swing attack, until the ginger haired Jedi Padawan finally struck back. With the Purge Trooper looking down at his feet, Cal rolled over on his back before he swung his lightsaber at him for the final fatal attack.
Cal looked back at the now dead Purge Trooper who attacked Kairi, before he turned back to the lake, hoping to find the 16 year old Jedi Padawan.
But his emerald green eyes widened in shock as he saw the same floating log in the middle of the lake and Kairi was nowhere to be seen once he was reminded of how she couldn't swim.
"Kairi! BD, help me find her!" Cal exclaimed after he ran into the lake and started swimming.
BD-1 trilled and chirped out Kairi's name as Cal made it towards the lake where he thought Kairi had drowned… until he saw water bubbles forming next to him before Kairi had made it back to the surface with the holocron in both of her hands.
BD-1 trilled a surprised tone as Cal saw her.
"Kairi?"
Cal called out as he had his hands on underneath her shoulders which caused Iris to jump out of Kairi's body and her eyes returned back to normal. Shaking the feeling of being controlled off, Kairi blinked her eyes a few times before seeing Cal which he immediately hugged the 16 year old Jedi Padawan.
Her eyes began to widen when Cal wrapped his arms around her while feeling his gloved hand running through her soaking wet black hair.
"Oh, I thought you were gone…" Cal responded as he began to calm down, before looking back at Kairi.
"Cal… I knew that you would come and save me. But what was that?" Kairi asked, before looking at the dead Purge Trooper who was now being washed away by the shore and into the lake.
"They are called Purge Troopers." Cal started to explain, before BD-1 jumped onto Kairi's back as the 16 year old Jedi Padawan rode on Cal's back until they were back to the shore. "They are stronger than the Stormtroopers from earlier. They loved to take out any Jedi who gets in their way." He explained once more as Kairi climbed off and sat down on the ground, unaware that she still had the holocron in her hands.
Smiling down at it, Kairi knew that she was ready to find out the clue about her past.
"Um… Cal, can you…" Kairi started to ask, as she showed him the holocron in her hands.
"Where did you get that?" Cal asked, before he noticed that there was an echo surrounding it.
He held out his hand as he felt the echo coming towards him, before he started to hear a woman who was softly humming a lullaby along with a baby cooing quietly.
"This is your father, little one. He will be soon. I just can't wait for Rin to meet you."
"Cal?" Kairi asked quietly, as Cal knew he felt the emotion of the echo that once happened in the past.
"There was a mother and her baby. The baby was just born here in Kashyyyk, but the mother wasn't human. Kairi… did you know that your Master had a child?" Cal explained before he asked about Kairi's Jedi Master.
Kairi already knew about her Master who had a secret relationship with someone and had a child, but Cal doesn't even know the truth. For now, knowing that Iris watching on how Kairi is choosing her words, she decided to lie about it.
"No…" Kairi lied as she was trying to cover it up. "All I knew is that… he had another Padawan before me just like Cere told me. And he's been more secretive since I was chosen to be his second Padawan. Is there a possibility that this secret child he had is still alive?" She asked as she looked back up at him.
"We don't know the true answer, Kairi. This birth happened a long time ago. And we're not sure of the facts about Master Sotah. " Cal explained, before Kairi stood up. "But why did you find this?" He asked as he remained on the grassy ground.
"It was… calling out to me. It's a key to part of my past." Kairi answered, before she crossed her arms. "Cal Kestis… I think it's time for me to reveal the truth." She stated before she looked up at the glowing moon.
"Go ahead. I'm listening." Cal stated, before Kairi looked back at him.
Before Kairi could have said anything, she and Cal started to create a fire as they decided to sit down around it. Cal surprised Kairi with a few snacks from the Mantis and even a bowl of Greez's homemade stew.
With BD-1 resting in Kairi's lap, it only took her a few seconds before she spoke up again while she took a few spoonfuls of the stew into her mouth.
"Cal, when I was 6 year old… I did not remember anything about my past. My memories started when I was on my way to Coruscant. I was in Cere's arms as she held me close. I did not remember anything before that, but somehow… I think I have parents who are alive today." Kairi explained before she started drinking blue milk which Cal poured out for her. "If they were Jedi or not, I still want to meet them. To tell you the truth… someone has been helping during this journey… and I don't know if you will understand it or call me crazy or whatever-" She responded as she was looking down at BD-1's head until Cal rested his hand on top of Kairi's left one.
Looking back up at Cal, Kairi can see the kindness in his green eyes. She can tell that they were sparkling with reassurance.
It had made her heart flutter, seeing those beautiful green eyes he possessed.
"I have already known all along, Kairi." Cal stated quietly, before looking up at the sky, thinking that Iris was looking down at the two from above. "Thank you, Iris. Please help me keep an eye on her." He responded, before Kairi looked to see the Force Ghost who nodded until she disappeared.
"How long?" Kairi asked.
"Since Bogano. There was an echo around the lightsaber. She wanted to be a Jedi so she will be able to protect her and Master Sotah's child." Cal answered, referring to the lightsaber that was on the ground next to Kairi's bow and arrows.
"I see…" Kairi whispered.
"But I can tell that she was devastated. She thinks she failed to protect and save her family. There was true emotion running through the echo." Cal explained as Kairi picked up the lightsaber and examined its ancient design.
"Now that you've mentioned it. I think Iris is more of a Force wielder. But I don't know why she has chosen me..." Kairi responded, before putting it back on her belt. "You… you don't think I'm weird? Like having a Force Ghost like her follow me around to guide me and such." She asked as she kept her eyes on Cal's hand which was still resting on her left hand.
"I don't think you are strange. You are a talented Jedi. I admit that you need more training just like me. But you have a strong bond with the Force." Cal confessed before he made her look up at him by having his other hand slowly lift up Kairi's chin.
Her silver eyes were back to staring up at his soft green ones before Kairi slowly moved her right hand towards his gloved hand that was covering her other hand, resting on top of it.
"Cal… I… I… I…" Kairi tried to say with all of her courage which was building up inside as she thought her own heart was going to explode out of his chest.
"Don't mess this up! But Jedi are not supposed to have attachments! Someone please help me!" Kairi thought to herself as she tried to breathe in and out, but she was holding it in.
Cal took a bold move before he rested his forehead against Kairi's, as their noses began to touch.
"What is it?" Cal whispered.
Feeling her heart beating quickly with her cheeks glowing a blushing red color, Kairi did the next thing if this ever happens…
With her eyes rolled back, she fell backwards as she landed onto the ground, indicating she passed out in shock.
BD-1 started beeping as he used his blue lens to examine her.
"I think she'll be okay. For now. That was strange for her to do." Cal answered, before looking at the fire as BD-1 looked back at the ginger haired Jedi Padawan...
A/N: Real smooth Kairi! Really! Everyone let's facepalm for her.
Fun Fact Time!: When I tried to find the perfect name for a female character that people will remember Kairi's, her first draft name was Sarada Lens… It sounds weird right? But when I was watching WWE, a wrestler named Kairi Sane was leaving the ring to be at home with her family in Japan. In honoring her since she is one of my favorites, I chose Kairi as her name and her last name Jabami happens to come from Yumeko Jabami from off of the Netflix anime, Kakegurui.
Fun Fact #2 Time!: Creating Kairi's attire was kinda hard work. As I was watching the Star Wars movies, I was trying to go for a Rey look, but I didn't want to copy her. So, I looked up a different Fandom I like, until I got the idea of her wearing a black top, a white shirt and leggings to wear underneath. As Kairi would call her skirt "a combat skirt" which reminded her of her Jedi attire before the Purge, like how Cal wore ponchos and his clothes.