Special thanks to BulletstormX and PerseusPeverell092 for bouncing ideas with me.
All credit to respective owners.
-Y.A.R.N.
Cal threw his hands out, sharp green streams of electricity arcing out half a foot from his hands before waning and sputtering into sparks after stretching another two feet out. Cal growled under his breath, frustrated at the lack of progress he was making at the technique, it wasn't quite as maddening as shatter-point had been, but it was not worth using in both power and range yet. Every time he used it, Revan would make him do it again as soon as he had stopped and took a moment to catch his breath. Maybe he could catch someone off guard in close quarter combat, but if he wanted the range and power he saw Revan display and use on him — which wasn't fun — he needed more. He needed to refine it and there was practically no time left for him to do that while on Dantooine!
"Stop being frustrated." Revan commanded sternly, "This isn't something you can master in a day of working on it. Using this skill is particularly tricky because you are using what is primarily a dark-side classified power and moulding to the light. Just producing sparks in the time you've had is something to be proud of — that's not including the fact you haven't been sleeping just to practice — not scoff at. I have been alive for longer since I reasonably should have and that is why I am as strong as I am. You don't even have two decades under your belt and you are much stronger than you were before Jedi Knight Cal Kestis. If you had been anything close to where you are now when you ended your search for the holocron, Trilla wouldn't have stood a chance against you and you would have been able to escape Vader much more easily."
"But not beat him." Cal sighed disappointedly, hearing the unspoken words Revan had definitely implied.
"No." Revan said simply, "Even as a shadow of his potential and an amalgamation of man and machine parts as he is now, he is too much for you. Maybe he will be for years to come, but that doesn't matter if you ask me. Even after all your time here, you wouldn't be able to fight him and win, he is simply too strong. But don't let that discourage you, I have enjoyed the time you've been here and am proud to call you my student."
Cal looked at his hands and clenched them into fists, "I don't know if I will ever be strong enough to defend my friends…I know that I am willing to do everything I can, but if Vader is still too much after all this training… the fact I can't stop him if he comes for us is what hurts the most."
"You have the potential to be strong Cal." Revan said, coming over to lay a hand on Cal's shoulder, "You just need to keep practicing and trust in The Force, like Jaro Tapal always said. It will not lead you astray. As for wondering why Vader is so strong, he was — without exaggeration — one of the strongest duelists to have ever existed and had a connection to The Force that far outstripped even Yoda. He had been trained longer as a Jedi and was a prodigy in the eyes of the Jedi and considered The Chosen One. However, he had to relearn how to wield a lightsaber with his wounded body and he lost so much of his organic body that his force powers were cut to 40% of what he could have been. If he had never been as grievously injured as he had? You would be dead. No chance at survival. He would be an unstoppable warrior of force power and lightsaber skill that no one in recent times could match. Also, he was playing with you to get the holocron and that nearly killed you and Cere Junda as well."
Cal swallows nervously at the idea that he only survived because Vader was crippled to the point he couldn't reach anywhere close to his potential. The Sith Lord had been no less than unreal, tearing objects out of Cal's force grip as though it didn't exist and tossing Cal around like an empty rag doll; ripping panels out of the floor and sending them flying like blaster bolts that Cal barely managed to keep from slicing him in half. The way the floor shook and warped under his power like a angered animal writhing in pain. Each stroke of his lightsaber felt like a stroke of crimson lightning bearing down on him and very nearly causing his arms to shatter just to hold it off. It was horrifying revelation that his one encounter with the Sith Lord was a weakened Vader, that did not feel like a crippled force-user and felt more like a unrelenting nightmare that was coming to life; already a unstoppable behemoth of force power and lightsaber skill.
And that Vader was PLAYING with him?
Cal shook the thoughts away before he could dwell too deeply on it and looked to Revan, "So I guess this is it?"
A rueful smile played on the ancient Jedi's lips, "I suppose it is Cal. I look forward to seeing how you move on to change the galaxy. I also hope you like the small gift I left you, I think you'll appreciate it."
"What?" Cal said, a bit thrown by that comment.
Revan laughed and waved his hands in dismissal, "Just ignore the ramblings of an old, old man."
The room swirled and Cal soon found himself back in front of the crumbling enclave, the dimming sun of Dantooine slowly slipping deeper into the horizon. Cal slowly rose to his feet and smiled when BD-1 beeped excitedly and clambered up his body.
"Hey buddy." He greeted, "You alright?"
BD hopped in place and Cal chuckled when he noticed that a small tunnel had opened up into the Enclave, as though someone had shifted some of the rocks and made an path. Normally, Cal would have taken this addition to his training grounds with a bit more caution that he usually approached a situation, but he knew it was Revan's gift. Cal carefully walked into the cave and placed his hand on the edge before looking into the darkness that was all he could see. It didn't worry him, BD was with him and he now had to skills that he didn't need his eyes to see. He closed his eyes and the used his Force-sight ability to see the path down as clearly as though it were lit with ambient light. Cal confidently walked down the tunnel, trusting the force to warn him of any potential dangers or traps. BD lit up his built in flash-light to illuminate as much of the path as he could, not noticing Cal's eyes being closed.
He eventually came to a small room made of rocks that seemed to be set like bricks that perfectly fit together. Some mounted torches that had probably been lit at some time and were placed to give the room a glow had long since gone out and kept the room in darkness. Cal walked over to one and BD-1's light roved over the torch, scanning it before letting out a whistle. Cal opened his eyes to see nothing but darkness and shadows; he picked up the torch from its mount and held a hand over the burnt end. He let out a small flash of green lightning and the end burnt erupted with fire and burned merrily, the orange glow of the flame illuminating the room. He placed the torch back in it's socket before felt the force whisper to him and he walked over to each one, using his newest ability to light each one. When Cal was done, he turned to see a worn book that was sitting innocently in the middle of the chamber as though it had always been there.
BD-1 beeped in confusion and hopped over to the book, prodding it gently with his foot before he let out a confused beep at Cal.
Cal smiled at his friend, "Just a gift from a friend BD. Something to help me become stronger."
BD let out series of beeps at Cal.
"I know I'm not bad." Cal chuckled, "But there's always room to grow bud."
He walked over to it to pick it up, and felt himself drawn forcibly into his psychometry as his fingers brushed the top. He tried to pull away, use what Revan had taught him to keep it from overwhelming him, but someone was pressing into his connection and pulling him harder than he could pull away.
He stood on the plains of Dantooine looking out over the sunset, a book he'd written filled with the philosophies that he had learned and the different techniques he had been practicing noted and refined through the multiple entries. He stood up and tucked the book under his arms and walked through the empty halls of the enclave. As it had been abandoned for so long, the building was damaged and broken; grass had taken hold of the empty halls as he carefully picked his way through the unmoved rubble. He felt heartache at what remained of his once-home and how ruthlessly and uncaringly the galaxy had forgotten of this place of learning and enlightenment. He came to a small area outside of the temple that was flat and open and paused, The Force whispering that this was a good place. He waved his hand and rocks and rubble shifted in the ruins, creating the tunnel that led into the basement of the enclave. He pulled a tree out of the earth and broke it down into several branches and weaved them together with The Force making several torches.
Those created, they floated around him as he walked down the tunnel, his hand pulled his lightsaber from his belt to ignite it and walk down the tunnel. After some time of simply walking forward he came to a circular room, smaller and made of rocks. The relics hidden here had survived Malak's bombing so long ago but time had taken its toll and degraded them to scrap and rust. However, that didn't matter now, he had no intention on mourning anymore, he had long-since come to terms with the loss here. He cleared the room and used to bend the metals of the room into holders and slammed them into the wall, and placed the interwoven wood into place. He lit the tips by holding his lightsaber to the tip of each torch and took a deep breath and waved his hand over the book, hiding it until natural light would light would once again come the room. He looked down and with another burst of will, the flames went out and his lightsaber was the only glow left, he felt the book but it was gone and hidden.
He placed it in the middle of the room and —
Cal gasped as he was once again himself, fingertips still lightly touching the book.
That had been one of Revan's memories.
Shortly before he died?
Long before he died?
For a brief moment, he'd been the maelstrom of power when he'd still be alive.
He let out a breath and picked up the book.
'Take the book and learn from my journey.' Revan's voice whispered from all around him, 'Redefine the Jedi and become the balance. The new generation begins with you and who is left to teach…'
Cal looked at the book and nodded to himself and the spirit of the Ancient Jedi, "I will. I promise. One day, I'll come back, and I will be the type of Jedi you are. I promise."
Light laughter danced around the room and faded into nothing.
Cal waved his hand and shadows reclaimed the room as he used The Force to extinguish the flames.
He left and ignored the rumbling as rocks fell behind him to once again seal off the chamber from the people.
His recent time on Dantooine was over, it was time to go.
Cere was waiting when she saw Cal riding his speeder bike towards the Mercenary Star, his supplies strapped to the side of the bike. He slowed to a stop and disembarked off the speeder to gather his supplies off of it. He used the force to load the bike onto the Mercenary Star and turned towards Cere as he shouldered his pack.
"So what's the plan?" He asked.
"We are going to see if we can get in contact with a rebel cell and hide out with them. If we can find one that's on the move, it would be ideal, but either way it'll be good to establish a link with them. A war is always easier to fight with allies."
"We are going to be fighting then." Cal sighed, "Well I guess it was going to come to that one way or another. Did you managed to get in contact with anyone?"
"Not yet." Cere replied, "Dantooine is as remote as it gets in terms of militarization of any sort with it being a farm world. We have to leave but should go through with some changes to the Mantis before we go."
Cal raised an eyebrow. "Changes?"
Cere smirked, "How good are you at painting ships?"
Cal stepped back and ran the back of his hand over his brow, unknowing smearing black all over his forehead. Dantooine wasn't a humid world but clambering all over a ship and painting it wasn't exactly back-breaking considering his past on Bracca, but it wasn't like they were in a hangar that had the exacts tools and equipment, except the paint (which they were using). Still the Mantis — now a black that gleams almost like star-studded space — might actually slip past most cursory scans now that the ship wouldn't match its old description. Greeze had protested until Cere pointed out that everyone would benefit from changing the paint job and that they weren't changing how the ship was configured in any way. While flinching every time one of their members nearly fell off and used the force to land comfortably on the metal (causing a noticeable clang upon landing), Greeze eventually just let it go to stew grumpily in the cockpit.
X-1 sighed at the files he had dug up on the rebels he had been tracking and — much to his frustration — he had very little to go on in terms of where they might go after Nur.
The main history of the primary target — Cal Kestis — since the tail end of The Clone Wars to the beginning to The Empire was easy to determine and trace.
Cal Kestis was a former padawan who hid for years as a scrapper on Bracca, presumably escaping from his clones at the cost of his master, a Jedi know as Jaro Tapal. His records over the years he had spent on Bracca were standard with any scrapper, he was taught by a Abednedo named Prauf and brought in a good haul and put much of it in reserve as there wasn't really much to spend it on. When he used to save Prauf after a cable snapping — nearly killing the both of them — the inquisitors came to apprehend him. When Prauf was killed he revealed himself and was chased until he escaped the system with the help of a Jedi named Cere Junda on a ship known as the Mantis.
After going off the grid for a time, he was seen on Zeffo in the catacombs searching for something, after which he left the planet (assuming he actually found what he was looking for in his search). Following that, he came to Kashyyyk and worked alongside insurgents who freed wookie slaves and set back the enslaving process considerably before Kestis left the planet. He once again returned to Zeffo and he was engaged by the Second Sister before he somehow escaped to once again scour to another catacomb. Before he could leave Zeffo, he apparently was abducted by a Bounty Hunter clan known as the Haxion Brood, but he escaped before the Empire forces came to seize him. He then once again returned to Kashyyyk and ascended a tree known as the 'Origin Tree'; as he reached the top, Kestis was engaged by the Ninth Sister who he presumably defeated.
X-1 frowned at the fact her body had never been recovered, which if anything meant she might just be alive, inquisitors were made to survive brutal situations. Then again the shadowlands of Kashyyyk were pretty much a death sentence to anyone if the reports on casualties when trying to traverse the area were to be believed. Either way, she probably knew better than to come back after her failure to kill or capture Kestis and endure the punishment. The Empire did not tolerate failure and Vader — who oversaw the inquisitors in general — even less so; no doubt she would be killed or imprisoned for her inability to do as told.
Regardless, it was after this he went silent for the longest time before arriving on Illum of all planets and leaving shortly after being discovered. The Empire finally discovered the planet of Bogano after the Empire carefully triangulated his path and traced the Mantis' path. When he came back, apparently he uncovered a holocron that had a list of force-sensitive children that the Second Sister had managed to take from him. Soon after, he and Cere Junda both attacked Nur directly and even after cutting through a swath of stormtroopers, Purge Troopers, and other defenses, he managed to defeat the Second Sister and escape Lord Vader before leaving the system entirely.
X-1 scoffed, if Vader hadn't been toying with Kestis, the Empire would have a whole army of sith acolytes to work with.
But after that?
Nothing.
Several ships that could have been the Mantis had been seen across the galaxy but the crew of the Mantis probably knew better than to keep their old ID number and had that switched before going off to who-knows-where.
X-1 scowled, this was going to be more difficult than he initially hoped.