So I've been on and off writing this for some time now and as a result I have a good idea of where it's going and hopefully have plans to continue with new fics continuing Cal's journey in the future.
A few quick but important notes. Even though Jaro Tapal is in this chapter, he obviously isn't for long as you can tell from the description. I've never written anything where a character dies and so I wasn't entirely sure whether I should label this fic as a major character death because he's not really a huge character in Star Wars as a whole and he's also not a major character in this. In my opinion his death doesn't compare to perhaps Obi-wan or Anakin's so I decided to just put a warning here instead.
Another heads up, Cal is older in this fic, around 14/15, and was made a Padawan a few years before the war at around 12/13. I'm not entirely sure why, it just felt right to have him slightly older. I just couldn't picture a twelve-year-old taking on droids when they've had no training. For some reason apparently adding on 2 years changes that for me.
I've also posted this on Ao3 and plan for this to be about 8 chapters long.
Disclaimer: I own no recognizable places, characters etc… The rights each belong to their respective owners.
Chapter 1 – There is no death
Cal had quickly come to the conclusion that Bracca was a thoroughly miserable planet. He and his master had been planet side for just under two weeks now but this was a decision he had come to within a matter of days, along with several clone troopers he was friendly with. They had come up with a list of planets that they would rather not visit again, each for varying reasons which ranged from the expected usual problems to the amusingly absurd. Natter was still staying stubbornly tight lipped about why the 13th Battalion could never return to Naboo despite the welcoming environment and people. It was incredibly uncharacteristic of the usually talkative clone who could hold an informed and interesting conversation on just about any topic handed to him. It was a story that Cal and several other members of the 13th were determined to figure out by any means possible.
Until such a time where they knew Natter's reasons, it was up for debate whether Naboo was on the list. Bracca on the other hand... Well, Cal could say with complete certainty that no living being, whether clone, Jedi or perhaps even Sith, could visit the planet and leave with a pleasant impression. He doubted that even the droids who were currently hunting them through the dark liked it. And they were programmed to have no feelings on such matters. Bracca was in the top five... No. The top three worst planets he had ever visited and for a number of reasons.
Firstly, there appeared to be only two forms of weather. Rain. Or dark clouds that signalled the imminent arrival of rain.
It was also ridiculously cold. A result of the near constant storms he imagined. But it wasn't just cold in terms of the temperature but within the force too. There was little life on the planet, particularly where they were stationed. There were a number of small civilisations but those who stayed on the planet did so to work at the salvaging centres set up due to the war. They had families elsewhere that they would return to after several months of labour.
Animals were few and far between. It was mostly insects that were only a nuisance. Plants were just as rare. There were the odd tufts of grass poking out between cracks in the rock but apart from that Cal had seen no trees, bushes or flowers. It was rather sad in a way, and the lack of life was reflected in a small dull presence in the force.
Then there was the rocky terrain which perhaps would have been alright on its own, but accompanied with the awful weather, the ground which should have felt stable under foot was instead a slippery obstacle course that was sure to leave at least a bruise if you were unable to gain your footing after losing your step on the wet ground. It had left many of the troops in the 13th battalion with bruises and sprains and was sure to continue doing so until they left.
He had even witnessed his Master falling unceremoniously onto his back last week. The look of pure relief on his Master's face when the Jedi had eventually stood up, looked around and come to the belief that no one had seen the blunder would cause Cal endless laughter for weeks to come. Not that he would ever admit that if his Master ever found out he had seen. He really didn't fancy the idea of extra study or meditation time that would inevitably come with such an admission.
A smile made its way onto his lips at only the passing thought of what happened.
"Does something amuse you, Padawan?" Master Tapal spoke up, his voice sounding louder in the near silence of the tunnel.
Cal's head snapped up to look at his Master, biting back the laughter that wanted to erupt from his mouth. "No, Master," he eventually said when he felt he had schooled his features effectively.
The Lasat Jedi raised an eyebrow, disbelief written across his face. He clearly expected further explanation.
Cal racked his brain for an answer to the unasked question, glancing around the darkened tunnel and peering at the walls through the blue glow of his and his Master's lightsabers as if he would find it there. "I was just wandering what had made these tunnels, Master. It would be annoying to escape the B1's only to be eaten by a giant rat." It certainly wasn't the answer Jaro Tapal was looking for, but Cal suspected it would be enough to distract the Jedi.
The tactic seemed to work for the most part, because even though his master was clearly still suspicious, he did continue the conversation. "A giant rat?"
"Yep. Or some other burrowing creature, I guess. I don't think it would really make much difference though when we run into it."
The Lasat Jedi huffed out a laugh, shaking his head in exasperation. "I suppose it wouldn't." The skittering sound of loose pebbles behind them caused the two to fall into silence again as they both strained their ears, listening out for the tell-tale echo of metal feet and robotic voices that would signal that the droids had closed the distance between them. When they heard nothing else, they both breathed small sighs of relief, however there was an unspoken agreement between them as they both picked up their pace.
After several more minutes of silence where only the hum of their lightsabers could be heard, Master Tapal eventually spoke again. "What is it that makes you think these tunnels were left by a creature of some kind?" Cal frowned, taking a moment to gather his thoughts and internally kicking himself for not seeing that question coming.
His master had always found it important to continue Cal's learning whilst on a mission, ensuring he kept up with his temple lessons and always trying to apply the content of those lessons to the situation they were in. The Jedi master had a strong belief that there was no better way to learn than through experience, constantly questioning Cal on his thoughts on the mission and encouraging that he ask questions. This was something that had only increased since the start of the Clone War nearly five months ago. They were now living outside of the temple more often than they were in it and as a result Cal spent less time in classes and more time spent fighting in a war. It helped improve his knowledge as a Jedi in the practical areas, yet in the theoretical side he was now at a disadvantage.
Raising his lightsaber closer to the wall, Cal studied the damage that had been done to the rock face. "Well the tunnels haven't been formed naturally. It's too symmetrical," Cal stated almost immediately. The tunnel they were currently in had remained the same height and width since they had entered. Even when the ground lowered or there was an incline, the top of the cave remained about the same distance away from his head. "The people that live here have the technology to salvage old ships, but none of it would be made to cut stone from the ground effectively. Plus, it wouldn't be easy to use the cutters in such confined spaces. The damage to the walls is too even for something that would be that hard to manoeuvre through the tunnels.
"Well done, Padawan," Master Tapal said, nodding in approval at the fifteen-year-old. "Have you noticed anything else?"
Cal looked at the walls again, taking note of the smaller holes that appeared occasionally. They were all roughly the same size as each other and he presumed they went on for miles as he could barely see more than a few centimetres past the entrance in the poor lighting. "Uh... the burrows in the walls look like they're just about big enough for a child to crawl through. If they were dug out by people then they would need to be a lot bigger for an adult to get through."
His master hummed in agreement, moving his own lightsaber closer to one such tunnel in order to get a closer look. "If we need to make a quick exit at least we know you have an escape route set out. You'd just about be able to crawl through there yourself."
"I'm fifteen, master," he muttered, scowling at the implication that he was still a small child.
"Yes, you are," the Jedi master agreed, turning away from the wall and continuing their stumbling trek through one of the many cave systems that littered the planet. "Did you notice anything different about these tunnels compared to the ones we entered through?"
Trying to remember what the tunnels had originally looked like after hours of walking alongside ones that hadn't changed was a lot harder than he had first thought. Especially when they had spent the first ten minutes being forced back, on the defensive by the Separatist droids that had overwhelmed their forces and separated the two jedi from their allies. Then they had been forced into an all-out sprint when even more droids had joined the original lot. There had been too many for them to take on by themselves, especially as Cal was still a padawan, and in the end they had had to retreat, Tapal trusting that the 13th battalion commander would be able to handle things from the other end of the fight. They had spent the first hour keeping up a fast pace in order to put as much distance between themselves and the droids that were following them. He hadn't had much of a chance to take note of the cave walls.
They hadn't known what was left of clone troopers who had been fighting beside them until clone Commander Coal managed to get in contact with them through Tapal's comm unit. Coal had managed to organize the men into a defensive formation and they were able to hold out until reinforcements had arrived. Despite being caught by surprise, they hadn't suffered significant loses which had been a relief. It also meant Commander Coal had been able to quickly organize a bigger retrieval party who had since followed the droids following them.
Air support had been called in to scan the surrounding terrain, getting a rough idea of the layout of the cave system they were in. From what the scans could pick up, the caves and tunnels were a maze of different routes that circled back on each other constantly. There was only one exist which happened to be the way they had entered in the first place, and there was a large force of droids somewhere between them and it. The plan was for them to circle around and join up with the retrieval party by using the scans they had of the tunnels and tracking their location through the comm on Master Tapal's gauntlet. It was slow going but they appeared to be making progress.
Unfortunately, none of that helped him answer his Master's question, and in the end, he had to admit defeat.
His Master put a hand on his shoulder in reassurance. "With everything that was happening I wouldn't have expected you to notice. The walls had metal support beams near the entrance, most likely put there when someone explored these caves. However, if they had made these tunnels themselves, it's likely we would still be seeing those support beams now."
"That makes sense," Cal agreed, nodding in understanding before coming to a realization. "So, you also think something else made the tunnels." His brain was already coming up with all sorts of crazy animals that were big enough and strong enough to make holes in the ground this big.
"I do."
With that confirmation, he couldn't help but thing about how dangerous those animals would be too, and with the droids hot on their tails, it wouldn't be good for them to run into said creatures. The fifteen-year-old heaved a sigh before smiling wryly. "I know I was the one that brought it up. But I think I'd prefer if it was a part of some old, abandoned mining operation."
At this, his Master laughed. "I'm sure you do. However, you have little to fear. There's no markings or sign of any animal passing through these tunnels in a long time. I imagine the salvaging companies that opened nearby have scared off whatever lived here before."
"That's good."
"Indeed, it is..." Both Master and Padawan jumped at the beeping from the comm as it interrupted their conversation, and Master Tapal accepted the transmission immediately. "Commander Coal, is everything alright?"
"Yes sir. Everything's fine. We still have a lock on your location but the droid party has split into two and have gone down separate routes."
"I see," Master Tapal answered, coming to a stop to concentrate on the conversation and putting a hand out to stop Cal as he did so. "How far out are you from our location?"
"Not long, Sir. If we keep heading towards you then we'll reach your position within the hour." The commander went to say something else but it was drowned out by static as the connection was briefly lost. The connection had been poor almost every time the clone Commander had tried to speak to them, having only been truly stable the first time there had been a transmission. Cal guessed it was probably down to the fact that whilst he and his Master were underground, the Commander had been outside in the open with a clear connection. Now that he was somewhere underground too, there was little hope of them getting a strong signal.
The pause in conversation allowed Cal to drift away from his master where he could slide gratefully down the wall and sit on the ground. It was a relief to take the weight off of his feet. They had been walking for what felt like too many hours and because the droids had been tracking them there had been no opportunity for them to take a proper rest. After so many hours of walking around in circles, his feet and legs were aching and he felt more exhausted than he had in months.
His Master didn't stop him from resting, giving his Padawan the chance to rest whilst he went about re-establishing the connection. Cal just watched him in silence. They really needed to improve transmission devices, but his Master was against him doing anything to mess with the battalions tech. Whilst his Master encouraged him to hone his ability to fix electronics, he did not believe that the field was a place to practice and experiment with any equipment.
Cal had tried to argue that they should just get an astromech droid instead. It would remove smaller problems like poor connection on comms immediately but apparently his Master had worked recently with another Jedi who owned such a unit and according to the Lasat, the droid was more chaotic than it was useful.
Cal had been stuck at the temple catching up on work and lessons so hadn't been there to see it in person. However, there was a rumour circling through the battalion which implied that the droid had shocked their General with some form of electrical device after the Jedi had disagreed with something the droid had said. If the stories were true then Cal suspected his Master's refusal to work with droids had far more to do with that than it did with droids not being useful.
Either way he wanted to meet that droid. Whether it was because he wanted to meet the droid that could annoy his master so quickly or because he wanted to disassemble it for ruining his own chances of getting a droid, he wasn't sure.
The static of the comm cutting out and the Commander's voice coming back clear brought Cal's attention back to the situation at hand. He could figure out a way to get a droid later. Right now, there were more important matters to deal with.
"There's still half the droids between you and us, sir. And we don't know where the others are heading. I'd rather not split the men into two groups. How are things on your end?"
The Jedi looked at his Padawan and Cal did his best to smile encouragingly back at him. "We're both fine but you're right Commander. Stay together and keep making your way to us. Cal and I passed an intersection not long ago. If we head back to it and wait for you there the droids may pass us by. If not then we can attack them on two fronts and get out of here before the meet back up with the rest of their group."
"Copy that, Sir."
With that the call cut out and the Jedi Master looked to his Padawan. "It won't be long before we're out of here but for now we need to head back the way we came."
Cal wanted to roll his eyes at the thought of more walking but stopped himself. He preferred the idea of more walking than fighting more droids without any back up. Pushing himself to his feet, he trudged over to his Master, falling into step by the Lasat's side as they headed back the way they had come. He chose to count his steps to prevent his mind from wandering to the idea of a bed and warm meal. What he would give for a ration bar right now.
They couldn't have been walking for more than twenty minutes when the familiar sound of marching reached his ears. They both stopped immediately and Cal looked to his Master for an answer. Lasat hearing was stronger than his own and Cal knew his Master would already be thinking of their next course of action.
After several seconds Jaro Tapal frowned and then his face grew concerned. "That's coming from ahead of us."
Cal's eyes widened with worry. "But I thought the Commander said the droids would be behind us."
"He also said the party had split into two. They've somehow looped around in front of us. Come. We must turn back."
"What?" Cal stammered, rushing to follow his Master whose pace had quickened into a jog. He was far taller than Cal so the Padawan was forced to run in order to keep up. They really were heading in circles, he thought miserably. "Aren't we surrounded?" He was unable to keep the nervousness from his voice but that was unsurprising. Surrounded in an environment like this without blasters left them with very few options.
"If we must fight the Separatists now, then we should confront the ones closest to the Commander. The men will be able to reach us far quicker that way."
As the repetitive sound of marching faded behind them, it grew ahead of them and when it sounded like less of an echo they came to a stop. The Jedi Master looked around at the space they had to work with, knowing there was little they could do but coming to a decision anyway. "Cal, I know we decided you weren't a child, but I need you to hide in one of those holes."
The attempt at humour was lost on Cal, who until that point had been staring into the darkness before them, straining his eyes in an effort to find the droids somewhere a head of them. Now his head snapped up to face his Master. He was frowning long before his eyes met his Masters. "What? I'm not hiding whilst you fight."
"Now is not the time to argue, Padawan. You will listen and do as I instruct." Cal fell silent and reluctantly nodded his head, even if he didn't agree with the orders he'd been given. His Master's tone of voice was one he recognised immediately. It was one that was used very rarely and usually only when he was in 'General' mode. It was clear the Jedi expected to be listened too, and Cal realised it wasn't worth the future lecture to argue with him now.
When Master Tapal saw he had his Padawan's attention he continued. "I'm asking that you remain hidden whilst I distract the droids. We've been forced into confronting them without back up but that doesn't mean we can't still fight them on our terms. Whilst they are distracted with attacking me, you will sneak up behind them. If they have split their forces in half then we stand a far higher chance of defeating them if we take them by surprise."
Cal's eyes widened involuntarily as he listened to his Master's words. The Jedi had definitely fallen into General mode and Cal was still surprised at how quickly his Master came up with plans on the spot. "And when they're distracted, I can take them out from behind," he said as he realised where the Jedi's plan was heading.
"Yes. But only when I give you the signal. Now hide quickly before they arrive."
Cal was moving towards one of the tunnels in the wall, just getting ready to crawl into one of the larger ones he believed he would be able to squeeze into when another thought crossed his mind. "Won't they realise I'm gone."
Tapal gave him and reassuring smile. "I won't give them the chance."
His Master's words gave him the confidence he needed and Cal quickly turned back to the wall, looking for somewhere to hide. Even though the tunnel he had chosen was one of the larger ones that littered the cave walls, it was still a tight fit and crawling into it was made infinitely more difficult due to the fact he had to go feet first. He wanted to make sure he could use his lightsaber to defend himself in case one of the droids saw him sneaking up on them. That would be impossible if they caught him crawling out backwards.
Cal crawled further back until he could only just make out the light of his Master's lightsaber before that too turned off and he was left in complete darkness. All that was left to do was wait, and he did his best not to shift too much in the cramped environment. It was uncomfortable and even though his Master had said the creatures that had dug this tunnel were no longer here, he couldn't help but think back to the movies and stories he had joked about with his friends back at the temple.
Like them, he had always found it ridiculous when main characters would stand about in open spaces when every instinct was screaming to them that they were in danger. Images of supernatural creatures appearing from nowhere in the dark behind the characters flashed through his mind, and he had to fight the urge to look behind him at the endless tunnel of darkness.
Somehow, he had ended up in a position much like those characters and he found it was far more unnerving experiencing it than it was watching the film in the dark at the temple, where he was in the comfort of his own room.
He felt emotions of comfort and reassurance flit across the training bond in his head, and immediately he felt himself relax and his breathing slow. It wouldn't be long now before he could leave. He could already hear the sound of droids making their way towards them and as it only grew louder, he forced himself to remain completely still. His natural instinct was to shrink back further into the darkness but without the sounds of blaster fire there was a high chance that any movement on his part would alert the droids outside.
Stuck as he was in the enclosed space of the small burrow, if that happened, he would be entirely defenceless. Not even his Master would be able to help him if he was discovered. When the droids passed by his hiding spot they almost immediately started firing and the space ahead of him lit up as his Master turned on his lightsaber to deflect the fire.
The cave immediately filled with noise as the sounds of blasters and the whirring of a lightsaber reflected and echoed off the stone walls. It was loud enough that he could pull himself closer to the entrance of the tunnel without fear of being heard but he remained waiting at the entrance for several minutes, waiting for the signal.
When he heard his Master telling him to move across the training bond, Cal immediately did so, holding his lightsaber tightly but keeping it in front of him, prepared in case he was spotted.
He managed to haul himself out of the hole in the wall just as one droid at the back of the group stopped firing their blaster. "Wait a minute. I thought you said there were two Jedi."
"I did," another battle droid standing beside it responded, half a second later lowering its own weapon as it seemed to register its own words. Cal only spared a glance at the amount of destroyed droids that already covered the floor, each with blaster bolts fired from their own weapons in their chests and heads.
As he creeped towards the back of the attacking force, he was vaguely aware of his Master standing nearly ten metres ahead of him reflecting blaster bolts back at the droids who fired them. So focused on making it to the droids both silently and quickly, the thought that he could be hit by a stray bolt never crossed his mind.
He prepared to attack the two droids and just as he ignited his lightsaber, the second droid to speak realised their mistake. "The small jedi…"
Cal never heard the end of its sentence as he cut cleanly through both idle droids. He managed to slice his way through several more before the other blocks of unintelligent metal figured out they were being attacked from behind as well as the front.
However, by the time those at the back of the group had turned to face him, Cal had already taken several steps backwards to give himself enough space to return the blaster fire that was now directed his way. When there were only two left, both of them facing Cal, an unknown presence forced them to the ground, as if an immovable weight had just dropped down on their heads.
Circuits spluttered and sparked from the broken joints and as the artificial lights of the droids powered down, Cal looked up to see his master with his hand out, clearly having been the one to finish the droids off. Immediately Cal stepped over the scattered droids' parts to meet his master half way.
"Are you okay, Padawan?" The Jedi asked, looking over his apprentice for any obvious injuries.
"Yes, master. I'm fine. We did it."
"We did. We need to…" the Jedi Master stopped speaking as a warning screamed out across the force and they both looked up in time to see the second group of droids appear in the darkness.
The two Jedi barely had time to raise and ignite their weapons before bolts of red energy were being fired at them for the second time, the glow from the blasters lighting up the droids holding them. It was like staring at an unstoppable wall of metal that seemed to only inch closer to them with each second that passed.
If he thought his body had been exhausted before, Cal felt like he could drop to the ground now. His body was quickly tiring but he forced himself to push through it, following his Master's lead as they both started to slowly retreat backwards. However, in the confusion of the second battle, both Jedi forgot about the destroyed droids that already covered the floor behind them.
Cal only remembered when his foot hit resistance and he stumbled backwards as he tried to regain his footing. The loss of concentration was all that was needed for a stray blaster bolt to make it past his defences. The warning in the force was enough for him to forget about trying to stay standing, and he trusted his instincts as he twisted his body in an attempt to avoid the danger.
Just as he landed painfully on the broken droids, falling badly on his hand in the process, he felt a searing pain glance across his cheek, just below his ear. For a moment all he could do was concentrate on the pain exploding from several parts of his body before shouting from his Master brought him back to the present.
He looked up to see that in the few seconds he had been out of it, the droids had advanced considerably on the two Jedi and his Master had stepped in front of him in an attempt to shield his apprentice.
"Cal. Are you alright? I need you to get up?" He could hear the worry in his Master's voice as the Jedi shouted over the sounds of the fighting.
"Yes, Master," he responded, unsure if he had been heard. The closer the droids were the harder it was to hear anything other than the weapons both parties held. I'm fine, he eventually said through the bond, pushing himself to his feet. He ignited his lightsaber again as he stepped up beside his Master, ignoring the sharp pain he felt along his wrist as he tightened his grip on the weapon.
His Master spared him a glance whilst continuing to block blaster bolts and Cal copied his actions, doing his best to brush off the fall and burning along the side of his face. Yet even as he focused all his attention on the twenty or so droids ahead of them, he could tell his movements were not as clean as they had been before, the injury to his wrist restricting how easy it was to move the lightsaber.
He momentarily considered switching the weapon over to his left hand but decided against it. Whilst he had practice using his left hand in training, he was nowhere near as confident using a left-handed stance as he was a right-handed and the middle of battle wasn't the best time to test it out. Even injured, it was more likely he would find it easier holding the droids off as he was.
Again, the Jedi Master started to step backwards now that his Padawan was back on two feet and Cal was aware of the movement even when he was focused solely on what was ahead of him. This time as he stepped backwards, blocking attacks without thought as he did, Cal made sure to do so carefully, testing the ground out carefully before putting all his weight on one foot.
They quickly made it passed the obstacle, keeping it between them and the attacking force, but despite the number of droids dropping before them, there were still too many for them to take out easily in such confined quarters.
Most of the fire was directed at his Master, the droids having figured out he was the one in charge and more skilled, therefore the one they needed to take down first. Cal didn't catch onto it, focused as he was on staying alive, but Tapal was also drawing the blaster shots towards himself. His Master's attention was split between both himself and his Padawan, and blocked shots aimed at himself and the ones he could tell his Padawan would miss. He had a longer reach and could do so quickly enough that it didn't affect the fluidity of his movements, however even he could feel the battle getting to him.
They had been up early this morning planning the assault on the droids, they had then engaged the Separatists and spent the rest of the day walking without a break or access to food and water. Now they were stuck in a fight in quarters too small for him to be able to take the droids out up close yet unable to retreat quickly unless they wanted to get shot in the back.
If they could just hold out until Commander Coal and the remaining clone force could reach them. Yet even though they could only be several minutes away he was uncertain whether that would be quick enough.
With the constant barrage of fire that lit up the cave and the smoke filling the air from both the blasters and the dust being shot off the walls by deflected shots, it was getting harder for both Jedi to keep up. Before Cal even truly realised what had happened, he saw his Master sink to his knees and he reacted on instinct by stepping between the older Jedi and the droids, giving everything he had to keep up a defence.
With all blaster fire now focused solely on him, blocking the attack was suddenly ten times harder and he felt a heavy weight settle in his stomach at the thought that he wouldn't be able to keep this up for long. His shields dropped at the thought, allowing his Master to feel his horror and it was enough to spur the Lasat to stand back up and step in front of his padawan, once again taking the brunt of the attack.
It was at this point Cal noticed the black burn marks dotting the back of his Master's robes and whilst he had been training as a Padawan long enough to know what the damage of a blaster bolt on clothing looked like, his mind simply refused to accept the facts laid out before him. Not when there were so many smoking holes and his Master was holding his free hand tightly to his stomach.
A coldness washed over him; colder than the icy river water he went swimming in on a mission on some planet months before the war had started.
When his Master stumbled back a second time as more shots connected with his body, narrowly avoiding falling into his apprentice, the cold feeling turned to numbness, all sensations in his body and head disappearing as time felt as if it slowed down around him.
He still continued to block the attacks but he didn't register how he was doing it. There was no conscious thought going into his actions. His body had gone into auto pilot, drawing on katas and training he had repeated hundreds of times in order to survive whilst his mind tried to make sense of the series of events that had just taken place in front of him.
As a ball of terror wound its way into his chest. Most of all he felt an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and uncertainty his mind grasping at straws as he tried to figure out what to do. When nothing came to him and with his Master unresponsive behind him, Cal called on the only thing he still had at hand, clawing on his last reserves of energy and the force as he searched desperately for an answer.
Just as all his emotions seemed to return to him and start to bottle over, just as panic started to kick in, he felt as if the force reached back to him. Without thinking he lowered his lightsaber, instincts driving his actions, and pushed both hands towards the droids. He still felt as if he was trying to wade through deep water, his muscles responding sluggishly as if the air was suddenly resisting his movement, but then there was a release of energy and the droids before him slowed even further until they were almost standing completely still.
If he thought he had been tired before, now all his muscles were screaming at him to collapse where he stood but he was too shocked by what he had done and the sheer power he had used. His attention was caught by a burning red blaster bolt hovering an arm's reach to the left of him, like it was stuck in time. Yet even as he stood staring at it, he could see that it was slowly gaining speed again and without thinking he raised his lightsaber, positioning himself in a ready stance and defiantly ignoring that part of his brain that told him there was nothing he could do.
He was too drained, physically and now mentally in the force, that he knew he wouldn't be able to stand for long at all. The droids started to speed up, and Cal repositioned his feet on the ground, resigned to fighting as thoughts of his friends and life back at the temple rushed through his head.
Just as the droids fell back into a normal speed, Cal felt movement behind him and out the corner of his eyes he saw white armoured figures stepping up beside him. They continued onwards moving around him and as each row of clone troopers passed by, they closed seamlessly into a straight formation, blocking his site of the droids ahead of him as they returned fire.
No clone faltered as they went into action, outnumbering the droids and taking them down quickly. It was enough to give Cal the chance to listen to his body, his knees finally giving out even as he tried to lock them in place. He didn't notice the pain as his body was viscously jarred by the drop to the floor. He was still too numb, even as he turned to face his injured Master and grabbed a hold of the hand reaching towards him.
"Padawan," the Jedi said in a voice barely above a whisper, gently squeezing the young boy's hand. Cal stared in disbelief, his mind stumbling over the site of his Master barely conscious on the ground.
"The war… it's only just begun…" The Jedi's words came out quieter than before as he struggled to breathe past the pain clearly racking his body. It was like they caught somewhere in his throat before they reached his mouth, becoming stilted and barely audible.
"It's okay, Master. You don't need to talk." It was a lie, and Cal doubted his Master would believe him but he said it anyway. The last thing he wanted was his Master to stop talking. He wanted to do anything in order to keep the Jedi talking. He'd even take a lecture for disobeying instructions if it meant his Master continued the conversation. Yet seeing how much effort it took for the Lasat to mutter a few syllables, he knew he couldn't ask that. His Master needed to conserve as much energy as possible until the 13th's chief medic made it to their side. Cross had to be here somewhere.
When the Lasat coughed in an attempt to clear his throat, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and with that came the awful realisation that his master was dying, with or without help. With that thought his eyes immediately started to sting and his vision blurred. With his free hand he rubbed at them in an attempt to clear away the tears, his vision focusing in enough time to see more blood pass the Jedi's lips. They needed Cross now.
"Master, stop talking… You need to conserve your strength… I'll get Cross…" He stumbled over his words, unsure what to say to get his Master to listen.
Tapal strengthened his grip on Cal's hand as the Padawan made an attempt to find the clone medic. Cal immediately stopped his movements as his Master pulled him back, and he heard the Jedi try to stifle a grunt of pain at the effort. "No. Padawan. There's no time."
Whilst his Master seemed to gain some strength as he spoke, his words clearer as he centred all of his energy on making sure Cal heard him, Cal felt his body weaken at the last sentence. Now he was the one struggling to breath as he felt his chest constrict and he didn't notice he was shaking his head, stammering out a denial he was unsure no one could understand.
Yet somehow his Master seemed to, reaching out with his other hand to place his lightsaber in Cal's free one and he closed the young boy's fingers around the weapon. Then he reached for his Padawan's shoulder, squeezing it in a measure of comfort as he sent waves of reassurance and calmness across the bond to help ease his Padawan.
"Remember, trust in the force," the Lasat said when Cal's eyes focused once again on his face. Tears glistened in the child's eyes and then down his cheeks and the older Jedi smiled as he pictured the adult his Padawan would become. A smile appeared on his face as his vision started to cloud over. "You'll make for a fine Jedi one day, Cal. But for now… continue your training… take guidance when it's offered… but always trust your instincts."
The young Jedi nodded along to his Master's words, soaking in the final lesson and committing the words to memory. The hand around his own relaxed and dropped to the floor as the Jedi Master took a final glance at his Padawan.
Cal was shaking his head, reaching for the hand again and gripping it tightly in his own. "Please… Master…"
Cal didn't register the hand on his shoulder and couldn't find it in him to resist the guiding hands pulling him away. He vaguely heard the Commander whispering words in his ear but he didn't pick up on what they were. His attention was centred on his Master and nothing else as Cross appeared from somewhere and knelt beside the General, pulling equipment from a bag slung over his shoulder.
There was a moment where clones were rushing back and forth, following the orders given to them by the medic but then just as quickly they came to a stop. When Cross shook his head and turned to look at him, Cal felt himself pull away from the Commander taking several steps back as he hit the cave wall and he let himself collapse against it. Sitting there with his knees pulled to his chest, staring at the lifeless body of his Master, Cal wanted to scream. All he could manage was a harsh sob as he dropped his head onto his knees. His Master's lightsaber clasped tightly in his hand was of little comfort and he felt it drop from suddenly loose fingers.
He didn't notice Commander Coal pick the weapon up as it rolled across the ground and he ignored the man as the clone sat beside him against the wall, a hand of silent support resting on his back before he was pulled into the Commander's embrace.
He sat crying into the clone's shoulder, and Commander Coal let him.
