Chapter Five: The Strangers
Kairi was slamming her hands against the closed ramp as she felt the ship taking off away from the exploded train cart and from where Cal had slipped and fallen.
"I need you to calm down, Kairi." The woman spoked as Kairi was pulled away from the closed ramp and the 16 year old Padawan turned around to face her.
But only for a quick second, Kairi started to think for herself as she looked at ghe older woman on how did she know her name without even introducing herself. Did she know her in her past? Was it before Coruscant? Or was she a part of her hidden memories?
Snapping out of it, Kairi thought about Cal who could be dead at the moment.
"But Cal… We have to go back for him. He's my friend!" Kairi cried loudly as she remembered seeing Cal fallen off the ramp and holding onto her small legs, before slipping off.
"Crying doesn't solve everything. And don't worry, we're going to save him. Just stay calm." The woman explained, before Iris appeared right next to the older woman as Kairi shifted her silver eyes to the Force Ghost.
"She's right. Cal will be okay. Just remain focus on saving him." Iris stated before Kairi nodded once the older woman walked towards the cockpit of the ship.
"Greez, we're going to have to book it. One of them fell-" The older woman explained as Kairi managed to sit down on the floor of the ship, before pulling out Iris' lightsaber.
"What?!" The pilot exclaimed, as Kairi looked up to see a Latero who was piloting the ship before looking back at the older woman when she walked back to her.
Kairi's silver eyes widened as they glowed a green color which made her head start to hurt while backing away slowly.
"Come here. You're safe now, Kairi. He won't be back for you anymore."
Kairi stared at the older woman as she had her left hand on her shoulder before the 16 year old Padawan spoked up after blinking her eyes a few times.
"Cere?" She asked, thinking of the woman's name which she had heard before somewhere in the past.
After Cal landed on the platform with the help of a flying droid who dropped him since the weight of the 19 year old Padawan was much more heavy than itself. As he tried to run off once again, Cal stopped running once he looked up to see Second Sister's TiE fighter ship which had landed above him.
"Going somewhere?" Second Sister asked after climbing out of the TiE fighter ship and landed on the platform, keeping her eyes on Cal. "What happened to the other one? Did she kill herself because it was too bearable of being hunted?" She asked, before walking slowly towards Cal while she switched the emitter on for her lightsaber to have one red blade.
"Keep her out of this." Cal muttered, as he turned his lightsaber on and he immediately got into a lightsaber dueling stance which he remembered back from his training days with his late master.
"I recognize that stance. Tell me. Who was your master, young Padawan? Perhaps it was someone that I've killed. Or maybe tell me more about the girl with the Domino forehead symbol? Who gives you the right to protect someone like her when she is hiding something more?" Second Sister asked before she stopped walking and stood still, hoping to make Cal speak about Kairi or his late master.
Cal didn't want to hear anymore of her talking as he ended up making the first move by running towards her and attacking her with his lightsaber. As Second Sister was blocking each strike, Cal can tell that she was stronger than her, knowing that the Dark Side of the Force can give her much needed strength. With him not being able to pull it off even after being in hiding, Cal knew that he wasn't strong enough to land a hit on her as he was dodging her strong attacks.
But when the two got separated, Second Sister immediately ran towards Cal who decided to clash his lightsaber with hers, the two were trying to pull off enough strength to strike back. Cal was getting weaker and weaker each second until… the unknown ship appeared and immediately separated the two with its blaster shots.
Cal landed on his back as he was close to the platform ledge, before the ship pulled up close until Cere and Kairi was on it.
"Come on, let's go!" Cere called out.
Cal heard the older woman's voice before he immediately stood up and ran inside as he was limping his way onto the ramp, before Kairi immediately hugged him.
The two Padawans looked back as they saw Second Sister who was walking slowly in a stalking way with her lightsaber still in her right hand, ready to take down the three in front of her.
Cere pulled the two inside of the ship before firing off her blaster, but Second Sister was quick as she dodges each fire before she jumped up in the air with her lightsaber to attack Cere with the ramp closing at the same time.
It was in slow motion to them until the ramp finally closed and left a lightsaber slash mark on it with Cere who had fallen back in shock.
The three ran towards the cockpit of the ship as Cal still had his lightsaber still turned on while Kairi and Cere were in front of him.
"You okay?" Kairi asked, once they pulled away from the platform until she started screaming in fright when the Second Sister appeared and started using the Force to control the ship.
Cal immediately held Kairi close with one hand as he kept his lightsaber in the other hand, while the ship was flying around in circles.
"Hold on, Kairi…" Cal exclaimed, before Kairi felt her own body moving on her own as she managed to walk towards the front of the ship while Cere was trying to control it.
Everything around Kairi felt like it slowed down as she didn't hear, but she felt the Force around her as she had her eyes closed.
Raising her hands up in a pushing away motion with her index, middle and thumb fingers touching each other, making a circle with Second Sister inside of it, Kairi narrowed her silver eyes at her once her forehead symbol glowed until everyone saw the Inquisitor being pushed off and disappeared around a greenish glow right before their very eyes.
Once the Latero had his hands on the controls, Kairi was looking back at her hands like she was amazed by what she had done without feeling any fear.
Was it all Iris' doing? Or was it a new ability that Kairi didn't know about yet?
"Wow…" Kairi whispered to herself before feeling the ship taking off into hyperspace.
"Okay. Put that away. And grab some seat." Greez responded after he and Cere turned around to see Kairi looking back at Cal who had his shock emerald green eyes on the 16 year old Padawan, before calming down once he switched his lightsaber off.
"Thanks for the help." Cal stated before he moved to the seating area which had a holotable around it. "But who are you people?" He asked.
"My name is Cere Junda. And this is my captain, Greez Dritus." Cere introduced themselves before Kairi sat down.
"How ya doin'?" Greez greeted, as Kairi and Cal were looking around the interior of the ship. "Yeah, the Mantis is my ship, but you two better pay attention to this lady here." He explained before Cal checked on Kairi's left arm which still had the second degree burn marks from the Stormtrooper who attacked her first.
"I'm fine. I'm fine. It will heal." Kairi responded reassuringly as Cal pulled her towards the seats and made her sit down.
"I'll take care of it. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing…" Cere stated, as Cal didn't know when to trust the older woman or not when around Kairi, but he stepped away once the 16 year old Padawan nodded reassuring him. "So. What's your name?" She asked before Cere sat down next to Kairi while examining her burn mark.
"Cal. Kestis. Who was that back there?" Cal responded as he walked away in a pace.
"An imperial Inquisitor. She's a Force wielder trained to hunt down Jedi survivors. And now she knows who you are. She will not stop until you and Kairi are dead." Cere explained as she put disinfectant on Kairi's burn mark which caused her to hold in her scream with her mouth closed, before putting Batca tape on it.
"How do you know so much? And how do you know about Kairi?" Cal asked, while he was rubbing his right shoulder.
"We've tracked down imperial commutations. And that's when we made our move… Kairi on the other hand-" Cere started to explain before she was cut off.
"I was rescued by Cere when I was just a Youngling. It was before Coruscant. Someone tried to kill me. I think." Kairi answered, before rubbing her healing arm.
"And the person responsible erased her memories." Cere finished before Cal looked back at Kairi who was looking down at her feet.
"I was planning to tell you that if we've made it back home. But bad luck is around every corner." Kairi responded before Cal held her hands in resurance.
"Listen… I get how you feel. You two were surviving on your own. Even know not to trust anyone. And what's kept you alive. But this is something more bigger than that." Cere explained, as Cal was looking up at her.
"Like what?" Cal asked.
"Rebuilding the Jedi Order." Cere stated.
Cal and Kairi had both of their eyes lit up once those words came out of Cere's mouth.
"Really? You mean? No more in hiding?" Kairi asked as Cal stood up from the floor.
"You two? Is there anyone else?" Cal asked.
"What? We're not good enough for ya?" Greez asked, thinking that it was offensive.
"The Jedi Council?" Cal asked once more.
Cere stood there as he was quiet before she spoke up.
"No. They're gone." Cere answered.
"No…" Kairi whispered as she couldn't believe it, but she still must accept the truth.
"Captain. Set the course to Bogano." Cere stated.
"Aye, aye." Greez responded before he set back in his chair as the three who remained around the holotable part of the Mantis.
"Just try and rest up. You two are safe for now." Cere stated before Kairi tried to stand up but she ended up falling back on the couch while clutching her own head.
Kairi gave out a few yelping cries as Cal rushed to her side.
"What is it? Another one of those headaches?" Cal asked as he studied the 16 year old Padawan in front of him before Kairi managed to nod when her nose started to bleed.
"I just… Let me rest for a bit…" Kairi managed to say before passing out on the couch, as she can hear Cal calling her name which was fading out...
Kairi woke up on a cold floor as she saw a few clone troopers running past her while they were shooting their blasters at an unknown sith before she quickly stood up and ran off.
Stopping midway during her run, Kairi realized that she was on the same ship when she heard the same baby cry.
"The little one… I have to find her." Kairi responded as she was trying to find out where the sound of the baby's cry was coming from, before she managed to find the nursery.
Running towards the crib, Kairi looked inside… but there was no baby inside.
Her eyes widened in shock as she had her hands on the railing before hearing the sealed doors opening and saw someone who had a brown Jedi cloak on running towards the crib, lifting up a blanket.
"So young with your abilities, little one." The voice of Kairi's Jedi Master, Rin Sotah was heard as he cradled the baby who happened to be invisible inside of the blanket.
The baby cooed before showing it's small hands reaching out to touch Rin's face until Iris ran inside who had the same matching cloak on like her husband.
"Is she safe?" Iris asked.
"She is. Go to the escape pods. I will find you and her on…" Rin responded as Kairi didn't hear what planet that mentioned to his wife.
"What if my sisters don't accept her?" Iris asked.
"They will. She has our blood. Go. I'll take care of him." Rin Sotah explained, before she nodded running out of the nursery as Kairi watched.
Rin Sotah pulled out his lightsaber as it had an ancient design on it before looking back at the gold wedding band which was under his glove.
"No matter what. I will protect my wife and child. I am a Jedi who has a heart of one." Rin responded, before Kairi tried to reach out to him and touch his shoulder.
"Why? Why haven't you told me about her and your child, Master?" Kairi whispered before Rin ran out of the nursery with his lightsaber in his right hand. "Just why?" She whispered, before everything around Kairi turned bright as she became blinded…
"Master?!" Kairi screamed out, before she realized that she was in one of the bedrooms of the Mantis.
Breathing in and out slowly, Kairi was rubbing her eyes before climbing out of the bed to see that she was stripped down to her grey sports bra and black shorts.
"Who took off my clothes?" Kairi asked herself, before seeing her old clothes that were folded up, along with Iris' lightsaber, her belt bag and her journal on the small table next to her.
Kairi grabbed her clothes as she stared at her long white apron skirt that was ripped before finding a pair of scissors. Laying it down on the bed, Kairi slowly got down to her knees and started cutting it to make it above the knee skirt.
"Perfect." Kairi whispered before turning towards her new long sleeve black shirt which she believes that it was given by Cere.
Slowly putting on her clothes, Kairi looked at herself in the mirror to see that her once long black hair was trimmed after when she used the lightsaber to cut First Brother's grip from it.
"I'm not worried about it now. Having it short makes me feel better." Kairi thought to herself before putting on her belt bag around her hips and the lightsaber on the right side of it.
Leaving the room, Kairi turns to the left to see that there was a room where it was located at the back of the ship where there was a medication circle, a small bed and even a workbench that had tools for a lightsaber.
Walking ahead, Kairi noticed Cal and Cere who were sitting down while having a conversation before she climbed down the small steps as they saw her.
"Hey." Kairi greeted quietly as her hands clasped together.
"How are you feeling?" Cere asked.
"I've been better." Kairi answered before she walked around the small table and sat down, but kept her distance.
"Are you sure? No more migraines or ringing in your ears?" Cal asked.
"I'm still breathing, am I?" Kairi responded, before Cal nodded before his eyes turned towards the lightsaber that was still hooked onto the 16 year old Padawan's belt bag. "Don't stare at it." She stated once she heard Iris' voice telling her to repeat it to Cal.
"Sorry… Kairi. It's just that… I never seen you with that lightsaber before. Not even when we were at the Jedi Temple. I can tell that It's not even yours." Cal explained as he can see a force echo around it before Kairi placed the lightsaber down on the table.
"It actually belongs to someone else. When I was having these visions… this lightsaber is connected to me somehow." Kairi explained, before turning to her right to see Iris, who was watching what words that the 16 year old Padawan was choosing her words carefully without speaking of her. "But it's mine for now." She stated.
"Your memories?" Cal asked.
"The first thing she remembered was meeting me before I took her to Coruscant. But I knew back then she was a Force sensitive child. Strong with both light and the dark side is what the Jedi Council said when they tested her." Cere explained.
"Light and dark?" Cal asked, before he looked at Kairi who was quiet at the moment as she kept her eyes on the lightsaber on the table. "There's no way. Kairi should be a normal force user like any other Jedi." He responded as he didn't want to believe it at first, knowing that Kairi is a gentle person on the inside and out while being a strong Padawan.
"It's the truth. That forehead symbol on her head proves that she's strong with both light and dark sides. Even her Master. Rin Sotah had one but it was a different color than Kairi's." Cere explained as Kairi looked up, before she decided to speak up.
"Cere, Cal… I have something I've been meaning to tell you. My master has hidden so many secrets from me ever since he chose me to be his Padawan. And I want to find them for myself to help me find out who I truly am. I don't know where to start…" Kairi explained as she felt Iris' hand on her shoulder, hoping that it would keep her calm.
"We're coming up on our destination."
The three heard Greez's voice as they stood up from the couch but when Cal tried to reach out to grab Kairi's lightsaber, the 16 year old Padawan immediately used Force pull as she had it in her hand, looking up at the ginger haired Jedi.
"Don't ever touch it. Okay, Cal?" Kairi stated before climbing it back on her belt bag.
Cal nodded before the two felt the Mantis landing as the ramp opened and Cere walked onto it with the ginger haired Jedi following her.
"This is Bogano. You won't find it on any maps." Cere stated as they were off the Mantis while Kairi was staring at the sun before using her forearm to cover her eyes.
The planet had a clear horizon as the bright sunlight was the first thing that everyone sees but Kairi can see fresh dirt and even plants growing out of the ground, before seeing multiple holes leaping around it.
"So what's next? We hide out here?" Cal asked as Kairi was feeling the warm wind blowing through her hair before the next thing she thought of doing was taking off her new boots, letting her feel the ground below her.
"We're done hiding, Cal. See that structure? I believe that holds the key to rebuilding the Jedi Order." Cere explained as Cal was staring at an acincet vault in a far away distance from where the older woman pointed to. "But to take someone strong with the Force." She stated before Kairi felt the dirt between her toes, until she started exclaiming in happiness while running around.
Cal and Cere looked at her before the ginger haired Jedi smiled at seeing Kairi's smile, until he caught her.
"Hey, slow down, Kairi." Cal responded.
"Sorry. I got sidetracked." Kairi replied after calming down.
"Kairi, go on ahead. I need to talk to Cal for a second." Cere responded, before Kairi nodded until she ran off with her boots in her left hand.
"Is it about her again?" Cal asked.
"Yes. I know you don't know much about her. But I suggest you keep an eye on her like when you told me you've promised General Rin Sotah. Even though Kairi is slowly getting her memories back, it's best not for her to turn against us." She responded.
"Kairi will never do that. I've known her since we were Younglings." Cal stated as he saw Kairi crawling on fours while a bogling was staring at her with its big eyes. "She's just a mysterious one full of wonder. Back when she was with Master Sotah, he was shielding her away from the outside, since he was strict on her. That's what she told me." He stated, before seeing Kairi lightly petting it.
"That sounds strange of him to do to his Padawan. She was supposed to be learning the ways of the Force instead of being shelter. For now, just keep an eye on her…and there is someone else you and Kairi should meet. I'll share more of my plan when you two come back. May the Force be with you." Cere explained before she walked back into the Mantis.
Cal walked towards Kairi as she stood up once the bogling quickly disappeared off into its hole when it got scared.
"So, why are we here? What did Cere talk about?" Kairi asked as she had her hands behind her back.
"We're supposed to meet someone here. A Jedi lives here on the planet somewhere. But Cere suggested to go to the vault." Cal explained, as he pointed towards the vault where Kairi can see it.
"Alright then." Kairi responded before she smiled.
Cal smiled back as he knew Kairi's smile gave him hope every time he saw it.
A/N: Had to change the summary to make it seem more better than the old one. And yes, for the cover picture, it a picture I drew of Cal, Kairi and BD-1.