Chapter 4: Team

Caelum and the Princess managed to acquire a small crowd as they ate. She nodded after he spoke, "You haven't seen your mate for a while then. How do you know she is still alive?"

He scrunched his nose, "Your ignorance in the force is appalling. You can feel it when a force wielder dies, especially one as powerful as her. When she was captured by the New Order, before they even began to use that name, she was weak. I cannot feel her pull or push, but I know she is still there. I do not feel an absence nor a replacement." T7 beeped. Caelum shrugged, "Well, yes. I don't feel an absence other than myself."

Princess Organa looked at him quizzically, "You have an absence?"

He nodded, "I am an endless void that sucks in the force until it is gone. My mother had a similar effect. When she returned to the Jedi Council after the Mandalorian Wars, they rejected her especially for her emptiness. I inherited her force abyss abilities."

"It seems like your mother had a hard life."

He shrugged, "I wouldn't know. She was simple. When she had me, she had my father raise me on a ship that constantly made trips between the outer rim and the Jedi Council. I did not see her much, even when she had me sent to train after my father died."

She leaned forward, "We could really use any information your droid and yourself may have in the force or of-"

He interrupted her, "I will not take on an apprentice. I can leave you a datacron, but I will not train you."

She was taken aback, "I was not thinking that at all. I was hoping you would be able to give us some insight into how to physically fight the force and perhaps even help those who turned sides."

She continued talking, but Caelum heard none of it. He closed his eyes as a light force tickled his senses, "Lazy fuckers… rescue mission." The power was weaker in the middle of the message, but he got the gist. It was her, "Allucina!" He immediately stood up and they all grew silent as they watched him fill with sudden life and energy. The voice continued, "Weak… might be a trap… I won't escape. Please, T7, find this frequency. It… unique… machine… on me. Follow it… find me. Hurry. I'm BORED!"

The end was loud and it made him smile, "You hear that, T7? She is just fine." He beeped.

"She contacted you? I felt something as well."

Caelum ignored the Princess, "T7, did you get that frequency? Do you think we can find it?" More beeping. "Good. Princess, if you do not mind, please finish fueling my ship so I go rescue Allucina."

She nodded, "Of course. And we can help you save her."

He glanced at her, "Why would you help me?"

She smiled, "Because you would be a good asset in this fight." He grunted in response. She nudged the wookie, "Take Chewy with you. He needs to go on a mission." He did not protest, but he did not look happy.

"I can help!" They looked into the crowd and one of the onlookers approached, "Poe Dameron at your service. You can use a good pilot for a rescue mission and I am the best."

Now Caelum laughed, "My father was the best pilot and I learned from him well. I have no need for a-"

He pulled his buddy from the crowd, "And if you take me along, you also get this ex-trooper that knows how to navigate through the New Order's bases. He would be a great help-"

Now it was Caelum's turn to interrupt. He turned and began walking to his ship with T7, "Fine, but hurry up. I will leave you shebs."

Poe patted him on the back, "You can't do this alone. You might get killed before you can save her. You can't die because you are her only hope."

Caelum laughed again, "I am not alone. T7 is a valuable ally. Two Jedi can easily rescue another. You will just get in our way."

The ex-trooper followed them, "Two Jedi? You know of another one?"

He sighed, "Yes, but no. I meant just T7 and I."

Caelum forgot C3PO was still following the Princess until the protocol droid spoke, "Jedi? Droids cannot be Jedi."

Caelum turned to it, "And why not? Because someone declared it?"

He responded, "Droids cannot use the force."

Caelum sighed, "But what if they could?"