A/N: I'm back from the dead! Kairi is now back on my mind instead of my Gotham stories!
As the night sky and the minutes went by on Kashyyyk, Kairi explained to the Lateron about her condition.
It was strangely brand new to him at first, thinking Kairi was just a regular Jedi like Cal. But by seeing the new skin tone and black markings on her face, Greez had to know if she was either a Nightsister or a Jedi. The 16 year old knew that Greez was being cautious about it, but after reassuring him that it was the same Kairi he, Cere and Cal knew since rescuing her on Gasiolara.
Once she explained the situation with her and her different side, Greez stayed quiet for a few seconds before speaking once more.
"So… you've believed that you're cursed?" Greez asked.
"Yeah. When I was a baby… I was raised by my mother, before she gave me away to the Jedi Council at 3 years old. To this day, I don't remember her face or what her name is. But this red scarf… this actually belongs to her." Kairi responded before using part of the scarf to cover her mouth and nose.
"Quick question, are you sure that this… isn't a part of you? You said that you've grown up on a planet with a red sun and then your mother left you with the Jedi Council at a very young age." Greez asked as Kairi had her eyes closed. "It sounds like you have come from Dathomir and your mother… might as well be a Nightsister." He stated.
"No. This can't be a part of me, no way. To tell you the truth, I never knew much about myself. All I know is that I'm a cursed Jedi with dark magik." Kairi explained as she looked up at the full moon. "It only happens when there is a full moon or two up in the dark sky. My appearance changes and the Force… is no longer with me on rare nights like this. When the sun goes up, I'm back to being a normal human with the Force... without the markings and grey skin." She responded as she gently rubbed her cheeks.
"Geez, Kairi. Looks like you had it rough. But I understand." Greez stated, before Kairi looked back at her. "Does Cere know about this? What about Cal?" He asked, before Kairi looked away.
"Cere knows. She always knew. But Cal… it's best for him to not know." Kairi answered, as she started remembering how Cal lost part of his memory of Kairi having dark magik.
"Why? Isn't he your friend?" Greez asked.
Kairi looked back at the Lateron, before looking away.
"Kairi… I know how you feel. But it doesn't hurt to give Cal a chance to tell him the truth. And beside, I've seen the way he looks at you. He really does care about you." Greez explained.
"Are you kidding me?" Kairi scoffed, before looking back at the Lateron.
"Okay, how about this, BD? 'Hey, Kairi. I saw this flower and I immediately thought about you. So um…' no that doesn't sound right."
Cal responded as he was rehearsing his lines while BD-1 was listening to him, knowing that his owner was going to talk to him about his feelings towards Kairi.
BD-1 beeped reassuringly as he jumped off and scampered his way towards the doors that lead towards the landing pad.
"You're right, buddy. I'll just say whatever on my mind. As long as I don't hurt her again. I do have to apologize for snapping at her for helping out against the Ninth Sister." Cal responded, before he took a deep breath as the doors to the landing pad opened. "I can do this." He whispered, before walking towards the Mantis, until he saw Kairi talking to Greez, but there was something strange.
He didn't feel Kairi's presence in the Force, but he was looking straight at her from a distance while he walked towards her and Greez.
"... You don't understand, Greez. I can't do this to Cal." Kairi started to say, before he stopped his footsteps as he started eavesdropping on their conversation. "Me and him are Jedi but we can't have relationships. And with my condition, I'm afraid he won't accept it. That's why I decided to distance myself from him a long time ago. But this mission is more important than falling in love with some friend. All I see in Cal… is an obstacle where he will block me from my future." She explained, before Cal looked back at the flower that he held in his hand, until he let it drop to the ground.
Cal turned around before he walked away from the Mantis, and back into the Forest Trench of Kashyyyk with BD-1 scampering off to follow him.
"You don't really mean that. Cal cares about you. I know how love works. You can deny it all you want. But if Cal found someone else beside you, you might have lost your chance for good, kid." Greez explained, before jumping off the crate and he stood in front of her. "One more thing… is finding out who you truly are and breaking this curse is the only way for you to move forward? I would think about it first." He stated, before he walked away from Kairi and back inside of the Mantis.
Kairi was looking down at her hands, before the warm Kashyyyk wind blew through the night sky, until the 16 year old Jedi saw a floating flower in the air which was the one Cal had his hand.
She gently grabbed it with her left hand, before looking around, thinking someone or something gave her this flower for her to have.
"What am I going to do?" Kairi whispered before looking up at the night sky.
Hours went by as Kairi was still staying outside of the Mantis while having time to herself. She was thinking about waiting on Cal to come back from the forest part of Kashyyyk or the Imperial Refinery to tell her about her secret. But it felt like a long time waiting on the ginger haired Jedi to return. All she was able to do was walk around the cargo pad, practice her lightsaber swings or try and get some exercise in by climbing trees or moving crates. But after her third crate, Kairi decided that she had enough when she started sweating.
With the cool air flowing through her silver hair, Kairi saw the once dropped flower that Cal left flew past her and she immediately caught it.
Looking at the beautiful petals, Kairi started pulling off each petal.
"I should tell Cal… I should not tell Cal… I should tell Cal… I should not tell Cal…" Kairi repeated each one on one of the plucked petals, before there was one less lonely petal left on the stem which caused her eyes to widen in shock.
"I have to tell him. Yes… I have to tell Cal!" Kairi exclaimed at the end, which made her feel much warmer inside of her heart when she thought about Cal.
She slipped off the crate, before running inside of the Mantis as Kairi can see Greez asleep in the captain's chair while Cere was already up, listening on Imperial communications.
"Cere? Is Cal in his room?" Kairi asked.
Cere turned around to face her before speaking.
"I'm afraid not, Kairi. He hasn't come back at all. Do you want to go look for him?" Cere asked, which caused Kairi to smile.
"Mhm!" Kairi answered, before Cere had a small smile on her face.
"You're in a cherry mood this morning." Cere responded before she stood up, until Kairi looked confused.
"This morning?" Kairi asked, before seeing the morning sun of Kashyyyk started to rise up as it touched Kairi's left boot… But when the 16 year old tried to block the sunlight away from her face, Cere watched as Kairi's grey skin and black markings returned back to her normal skin and her forehead symbol appeared, causing her appearance to return back to normal. "No…" she whispered, as she looked at her hands which were back to her normal skin tone.
Kairi felt Cal's presence as he was walking back towards the Mantis before looking at the ramp, hoping to greet him with a smile. When he walked inside, he casually greeted Cere and Kairi before walking back towards his sleeping quarters, but Kairi stopped him when her left hand gently grabbed his own left hand.
"Cal, where have you been all night? I was worried about you." Kairi asked.
"I'm alright. See? No worries, Kairi. And besides, I need to rest my head." Cal responded as Kairi sensed that something was off.
"Cal-" Kairi started to say, before Cal slowly removed his hand from her soft small one.
"Kairi, I've been thinking. And you were right. The mission is more important than anything else. All that matters is that we have to find the Astrium before getting the holocron." Cal explained as he turned around to face her.
"Yes, that's true, but there's something else that I have to tell you, Kestis." Kairi responded.
"Listen… I overheard you Greez last night. You don't have to say anything, Kairi Jabami. If I'm in your way, all you had to do is say so. You could have said that years back at the Jedi Temple when you were distancing yourself away from me." Cal explained, before Kairi stepped back and looked down on the floor. "And don't worry. I won't treat you like a Youngling anymore." He stated, before he walked into his sleeping quarters and the doors closed behind him.
Feeling warm tears running down her face, Kairi watched as they fell off her face and onto the floor, before gently gripping onto her left wrist, knowing that she felt rejected.
Using her red scarf to cover her nose and mouth, Kairi went into the bathroom and decided to have alone time in there, knowing that haven't have time to herself.
Running the shower head with warm water, Kairi slowly took off her tear drench red scarf, her earthly green tunic dress, black pants, and boots, before getting in.
Closing her silver eyes, Kairi started washing her face off before she stood underneath the shower head and rested her forehead on the wall.
Feeling the warm water raining down on her back, she started to feel relaxed while listening to the hissing sound of the shower head running.
With her hands resting on the wall, Kairi started whispering to herself.
"I can't take this anymore. Just why? My heart beats for you. But you've shattered it, Cal Kestis."