This is roughly two years or so after the events of Fallen Order. Galen is still being trained by Vader before being deployed to murder jedi, his story is about two and a half years before the Battle of Yavin. Serious gap of time before Force Unleashed and A New Hope starts.
As for Cal thinking he has to start the order alone? He doesn't. He fully expects help, the problem he has is that he wants concrete idea of what role the jedi will have before even trying to start. His visions on Bogano made him realize that hiding any budding enclave in the force is the only feasible way to build an enclave at all. Bogano was located and put under siege which led to his fall and torture of his students. Dantooine is convenient due to the destruction of the old temple that overshadows his presence, but he knows it won't last. Also, he wants to make sure the jedi this time are capable of adjusting and evolution after he passes away.
Actually, Shatterpoint is a technique that is teachable, but you need to have an affinity for it from the start or you can only use the very basic of abilities. Mace Windu saw people connections and the importance of people of fault lines of possibilities in the novelization of Revenge of The Sith due to his natural affinity with Shatterpoint. Luke — in legends — used Shatterpoint, but only to destroy droids as he wasn't a natural with that.
All credit to respective owners, blah, blah, blah.
-Y.A.R.N.
The kinrath seemed just as eager to attack as before; ever since the trio heading into the caves set foot in the tunnels. The anger they struck with was even more outraged; much more so after Cal lifted a kinrath with the force and applied Shatterpoint to the squealing bug. Two invaders in their home wasn't appreciated, three much less so. It had almost stabbed Merrin before Cal caught it and used the force on the unfortunate creature) which detonated in a burst of gore and chitin). Merrin face twisted in annoyance and Xavier grumbled as waves of kinrath assaulted the group. BD-1 beeped nervously as the bugs had seemed just as endless as the time Cal and Cere had traversed the caves to get Cere's crystal.
It didn't help that Merrin and Xavier weren't quite at Cere's level when it came to lightsaber combat, Merrin did manage to make up for the difference in her skills by bathing any groups of the bugs in her flames, but Xavier hesitated in using the force due to the past regarding force-users, preferring to strike them down if they came too close. Even with those pros and cons affecting the group, when the Kinrath had finally backed off Cal, Merrin, and Xavier were tired and dirty. Cal deactivated his lightsaber and let out a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment, stretching out with the force to make sure there were no more surprises. Merrin did the same and even Xavier did the same (for all his instinctual hesitance he still wanted to be able to use the force if needed).
"I think we're in the clear." Xavier mumbled.
"Good. If I ever see another kinrath again, it'll be too soon." Cal groaned.
Merrin lips twitched in amusement at Cal's expression, though she agreed as well with the both of them. The threesome finally made it to the end of the cave and the crystals glimmered with the same glow as the first time Cal had seen it. He carefully walked around the cavern, his lightsaber held in a loose grip in his hand as he surveyed the crystals and used the force to smash the eggs around the crystals and lift the crystals in them. Without laying a hand on them, Cal harvested the crystals before placing them in cases so they wouldn't melt in his hands. Since the khyber crystals weren't his, he didn't want to touch them or they might melt away and it wasn't like he had a surplus of the rare item. Dantooine's crystals were plentiful at them moment but mining them till there were none left was a bad idea as it had probably taken years to grow to this level. Cal wasn't intending to change any of the crystals he had in his lightsaber — they were his and resonated with him perfectly — but harvesting some crystals for the future was something the force whispered he should do.
"Find a crystal that calls to you." Cal said calmly, "I'll guard you while you look, don't rush on my account, take your time to find the one that resonates."
Merrin nodded and closed her eyes, kneeling on the floor while Xavier swallowed nervously and settled himself on the floor as well. Cal closed his eyes and stood still sensing for any incoming danger while Merrin and Xavier meditated. The first one to stand was Xavier, who eyes closed, slowly meandered over to a glowing group of yellow crystals, kneeling before them before carefully plucking one out of the cluster that shimmered in his palm. He opened his eyes and gently closed his hand over the crystal with a odd smile, a previously unknown and unrecognized line of tension slipping out of his shoulders.
Merrin however frowned, she didn't feel any whisper of a call from any of the numerous crystals that surrounded her no matter how deep she tried to meditate and listen. The entirety of the time was silent except for the faintest keening wail of the crystal that was in the hilt of Malicos' lightsaber. She sighed and unclipped the lightsaber at her waist to stare at it as though asking what it wanted. Xavier and Cal both watched as she abruptly stood up after re-holstering her saber, the night-sister turned to her companions and let out an sharp breath.
"None of these crystals are mine." She said quietly, "I don't feel anything from them at all. The only crystal I can hear is the one in my lightsaber."
Cal didn't really know what to make of that proclamation from Merrin. He knew that on Illum, there was said to be a crystal for every jedi, but he didn't know if the order had known about the crystals on Dantooine. And if they had known about the crystals here why didn't the Emperor keep a guard on the planet since there was a law about the restrictions on lightsaber components and the crystal was probably the most important piece. Handling one that was real was the equivalent of a death sentence unless you were an inquisitor, a officer of the empire, or wealthy enough to pay off stormtroopers.
"Nothing?" Cal prompted.
Merrin shifted in discomfort as she absently placed a hand on her lightsaber, "The only one I can hear is crying in pain."
Cal frowned and ran a hand through his hair, "Then maybe we better ask what we can do for it."
Cere held Malicos' weapon in her hands and gently ran her hands over it as though it would reveal something new. In all honesty she had no idea how the sith obtained their lightsaber crystals and why they all used red crystals. The jedi hadn't exactly been forthcoming with that information since any and all aspects that dealt with the darkside were hidden and were only open to those who were jedi masters. And most masters were in the field with the clones when Order 66 happened and killed off most of the jedi. She sighed and handed the lightsaber back to Merrin, who raised an eyebrow in question.
"I don't know." Cere finally replied, "Red crystals are the choice crystals of the sith and while we know that much, we don't exactly know how or why they are red, as until very recently we had no idea they occurred naturally. But if anything, this lightsaber is crying out and only Merrin can hear it, then maybe it's meant for her."
"But it's red, and if Merrin going to accompany to Felucia —" Cal began.
"No." Merrin said, cutting him off, "I... I shouldn't be the one to go with you."
Cal turned to her eyes wide in surprise.
Merrin's shoulders hunched and she looked away in shame, "The Jedi and the Nightsisters had been at odds before. You may not know it, but several times my sisters clashed with jedi and their allies. To go there already having been trained by you and Cere would only invite problems as I... If Shaak Ti is as rigid as you say, you teaching me would only make her less receptive."
Cal face darkened and he walked over to Merrin and placed a hand on her shoulder before lightly cupping her chin to make her meet his eyes, "She doesn't get to make that decision for me. You said it before right? Survivors. We adapt. If she can't accept change, than I rather she stay on Felucia than try to force us to be the jedi of old. She may be a Jedi Master, but as a Jedi Knight I have my own path to follow. And if she says you are not to be a part of it, then I don't want to be a jedi to her."
Merrin blinked and she couldn't help the happiness and hope swelling in her chest at Cal's declaration.
Cere eyes darted between the two and she sighed at the force singing happily, even was quite obvious to probably anyone with a working pair of eyes.
Cal absently checked over the a blaster he found on Jek's ship and was attaching to BD-1 to help him have more combat effectiveness. While it was a bit of a surprise to see a droid compatible blaster set as well as a very impressive workstation without any astromech droids on the ship, Cal wasn't going to complain. He knew BD-1 was never gonna be a amazing combat droid, Cal knew that for a droid he had more than enough bravery to fight. Anyone who scored a blow on Darth Vader of all people in the entire galaxy was worthy of an insane amount of respect. Xavier checked the hull integrity and systems to see if there was anything that needed a tune up or adjustments. Cal's years on Bracca made him one of the best mechanics as Prauf used to tell Cal about all the systems and how things connected so there was less of a chance for Cal to be hurt while dismantling ships. They moved some supplies and Cal and Xavier made sure to make sure that they had a secure landing gear and shields.
In the end, they decided for Cal and Xavier to be the ones to go to Felucia rather than anyone else. Shaak Ti was never gonna take Cere seriously since she could probably sense the taint of the Dark Side and shame that shaded Cere's force presence. Merrin was right about the Shaak Ti not wanting to teach a nightsister in any capacity, no matter how desperate the situation. But Cal was a padawan (now a knight) who had survived the purge, and although Xavier was a clone, he was the clone of a Jedi. A Jedi who fought to save people before sacrificing himself to save his 'son'; leaving his 'son' as a legacy to go into the future. As an added bonus, Xavier had been coached by the Kaminoans in all the war that was going on, so having him on Felucia would only help as he would be a guide.
Merrin gently pulled the red crystal from the hilt she had partially pulled apart under Cal's watch and she held the red gem up to the light and frowned. Miffed as she was about Malicos' lightsaber crystal apparently her's as well, she didn't want to ignore anything to distance herself from her potential. With that in mind, Cal and Merrin knelt down at the temple for help on the crystal. Xavier took a deep breath and knelt as well, ready to begin his crucible to confront his regrets and past. Merrin went with the intention of finding a way to heal her as of yet damaged crystal. Cal went for one last lesson before his trip to Felucia, hoping that once he returned (whether or not Shaak Ti was on board with their idea for the future of the jedi) that he continue cultivating his skills. The force thrummed in a rising crescendo and each of them felt the force pull them away from their bodies to their individual tasks.
Merrin found herself in front of a person who was clad in black robes and wore a mask which had a visor in a line across and paint markings that like a 'T' on his mask. Merrin swallowed as she could feel the power radiating off the figure. He didn't react to the nightsister beyond inclining his head in a greeting. Merrin didn't know how to respond other than to nod in reply, gaining a small chuckle from the figure. Merrin slowly stood up, her hands still cupping the red crystal that was glimmering in her palm. The man gaze shifted to the crystal and he plucked it from her hand, holding it up to inspect it. Merrin didn't want to cross the figure as she knew he would kick her from the vision and probably never allow her to reach him for good measure.
He scoffed, "Utterly disgraceful. The Sith of this era are idiotic monsters."
Merrin drew back in surprise, "What?"
He looked at her, giving off a bemused look, "To bleed a khyber crystal to the point it turns red is nothing short of a lack of effort. They barely react to anyone and can be used by anyone without melting in their hands because now they hunger for violence and don't care. If you want a red crystal, look for it! I did! By the force, it's a wonder how they still active in the galaxy."
"Who are you?" Merrin asked.
His features were obscured by the mask but she felt the humor radiating from him, "A force-wielder."
Merrin bit back her annoyance at the perfectly obvious and unhelpful answer, "I had no idea."
He laughed out loud, "You've got a great sense of humor!"
She frowned at his flippant nature, "I came —"
"— to see if you can help this crystal stop crying." He finished, waving a hand as though it wasn't important, "Ah nightsister... When you are hurt or crying or bleeding, what do you do?"
Merrin floundered in confusion, "Stop crying and try to bandage myself? Use my magics to heal myself?"
"So if a crystal is bleeding, what should you do?" He said calmly.
"Bandage it? Use my magics on it?" She said, a bit confused.
"Close enough!" He said happily.
"But how do I do that?" She inquired.
The man's shoulders slumped, "Why are all the jedi and sith I meet always idiots? I swear even I was smarter as a padawan..."
"Hey!" Merrin grumbled, annoyed at the slight against her ability to figure this out, she had barely been training for a month and she wasn't even being taught about the jedi side of the force beyond the basics yet!
He sighed and took one of her hands to lift it and drop it in her palm before taking it over and making it cover the crystal. Merrin sensed the man's demeanor shift into something a bit more serious as he covered her hands.
"Close your eyes and listen." He instructed.
She did and heard the wails of the crystal.
"Many of the Sith used the anger and hate and pain to make crystals bleed and turn them red, a better focus for their skill as it reflects their feelings. I don't agree but that doesn't matter. The khyber crystals aren't just the focus for a lightsaber crystal, they live and are attuned to their wielders. So instead of pain, give the crystal peace. Instead of hate, give it love. Instead of anger, give it joy. There's no need to 'teach' how to heal, it's something as simple as running your power in the force in tune with someone else, except now you apply it to the crystal you want to heal. And as it heals, it will tune itself to its healer."
Merrin took a deep breath, trying to think of how best to infuse the crystal with the emotions.
"Try using memories that you associate with those feelings." He suggested.
She thought of her sisters when their clan was whole, how they leaned on each other and knew they'd have each other's support. Things were so simple and peaceful back then, there was no notion that she would lose her entire clan in a roar of sabers and blasters.
Then she thought of her relief and happiness at the prospect of a new family, even if not by blood or clan, that she may have a place to belong to. Each day had been a worry of them finally having enough of her on the ship until she realized that the niche she had carved out in the Mantis had never once seemed forced or unnatural.
Then she thought of Cal, the way he helped her; the way her stomach felt full of tingles in the brief and fleeting moments where their eyes would meet and their bodies brushed against each others'. The way her eyes would trace his body as it moved and way he would smile at her accomplishments that made her heart swell. How he was willing to go against a remaining Jedi Master if it meant he would stay with her and be a part of her life.
She let the emotions out and let them swell and grow, the crystal in her cupped hands began to vibrate and warm, the crying waning as the crystal began to softly and slowly sing.
"More." He said softly, "Let it all out."
The crystal shined even through her closed eyes and she opened her eyes as the man drew his hands away and she opened her cupped hands to see the crystal.
No longer an angry and blood red.
A soft magenta crystal now rested on her hand, humming with a song only she could hear.
The figure chuckled and he began to lose definition as he drifted away, silent as a breeze as he melted into the shadows of the room that seemed to rush to embrace him.
"Good job." He whispered as the room faded away
When Xavier opened his eyes, his heart plummeted at the sight of his brother glaring at him with accusing eyes. The open hangar where Falon had died and he had been so close to death that he had woken hours later to painfully create a pyre for his father. Bodies of stormtroopers and militia decorated the floor and the stench of blood and burnt flesh hung heavy in the air around him. After everything that had happened, he had no idea what to do and simply walked till he found a village and cast aside the life of a soldier. Coming back here to where his life had changed he felt all that panic and fear of death looming over him all over again.
"So the traitor has come at last." X-1 sneered, "Come to pay for your lack of loyalty?"
Xavier gritted his teeth and stood his body trembling, years of pent up anger bubbling up in outrage, "Traitor? A lack of loyalty? Yeah, killing innocent people was necessary? Who's the one who broke protocol to satiate his own bloodlust?"
X-1 barked a harsh laugh, "What, you think anyone cares about the inhabitants of this ass-end farm-world? You could've been given power and distinguished commendation if stayed with your real family, but you chose these stupid simple people instead?"
Xavier scowled, his hand going to his side, and stead of a blaster, his hand gripped the hilt of his recently recolored lightsaber.
X-1 vicious smile grew, "Oh? A lightsaber? Did this kath hound grow some teeth or is it a false bravado?"
"Shut up!" Xavier snapped, a bar of yellow plasma sprouting from his fist, "This time you don't have me feeling sorry for you!"
X-1 snapped out a hand and Falon's stolen lightsaber burst to life, humming, "Then attack if you think you can brother."
He charged and stabbed forward, X-1 swinging his blade up and blocking the blow in a shower of sparks and a loud crackle. They traded blows, X-1 and Xavier both trying to outmaneuver each other in the hangar where Falon had died. X-1 sliced at his brother with a feral glee, his stolen saber leaving streaks of light as he bore down on his brother. But Xavier wasn't letting himself get pushed to his limits in training for no reason and was able to match his brother blow for blow.
Their blades clashed in a shower of sparks as they crackled, both combatants leaning forward to force the other back.
They disengaged to backpedal and X-1 reached out to the side and made a grasping motion before swinging his arm forward. Xavier saw one of the bodies of the troops lift and be tossed at him as he raised a hand and waved it to the side, deflecting the body from slamming into him. In the brief moment where the body had obscured his vision, Xavier lost track of his brother and x-1 had vanished. Xavier looked around but couldn't see his brother anywhere and in any battle losing track of your opponent was a deadly mistake. Ghostly chuckles echoed through the chamber as X-1 used the darkness to cloak his form from his brother.
Xavier shook off his anxiety and closed his eyes, centering himself and grasping his weapon firmly in both hands as he raised it in front of him. The force whispered a warning and Xavier whirled, his blade crossing against X-1's just in time to block a stab straight into his chest that would have pierced his heart.
"Not bad brother!" X-1 sneered, loud enough to be heard over their crackling blades, "But you are afraid! I thought the Jedi — even if they are an insignificant and pale imitation such as yourself — were never afraid?"
Xavier scowled and let go of his saber with one hand to hold it out, firing a wave of telekinesis that sent X-1 flying into the wall with a grunt. X-1 landed on his feet and straightened before he cracked his neck. Xavier glared and sighed relaxing as he shook his head, clipping his lightsaber to his belt.
No.
He wasn't going to do this.
Fighting ghosts wasn't going to help him, it was the same of running away. Except instead out right ignoring the problem he was simply shoving the issue into a dusty corner and throwing away the key. He knew from Merrin's account of her vision that simple combat wasn't the way to fix his problems. He had to come to terms with his demons; all his fear and guilt and self-loathing that occupied every possible space in his head. He had been ashamed and blaming himself because he hadn't been able to save Falon and the people who were willing to fight for their peace, but none of it was his fault. If anything, he was the one who — alongside Falon — gave them a sliver of a chance against the troops that came down on them.
He needed to let all his pain go.
X-1 began to laugh, "You're done already?"
"Yeah." Xavier said calmly, letting out short breath, "I'm done with you."
X-1 paused.
"I hated what happened between us. I thought I could trust you to do the right thing, all throughout the Clone Wars we fought side by side. I thought you knew where the line had to be drawn." Xavier turned away, "But I didn't know better, I guess I didn't know you. What you did to Falon scared me. You're right about being afraid and the fear from your actions has been hanging over me like a cloud and I am done with living under it. I am tired of being scared. I abandoned my duty for far too long and am ready to step back into the fray."
X-1 snarled and charged, "Don't you dare ignore me!"
Xavier's once again slipped into the almost-forgotten persona of a soldier, brushed off the dust of his dogma, and he kept walking, "If I see you again brother, you won't see me hesitate any more."
And X-1 crumbled to empty air just before he stabbed his lightsaber through Xavier's chest.