Two updates in two weeks? I am on a roll :D
Buckle up, this is definitely an emotional rollercoaster (I'm not sorry, muahaha)
Enjoy!
The knock startled the Mandalorian, a narrowed gaze as his eyes trailed to the locked door.
His hand clutched his blaster as he gradually stepped forwards, hissing a warning at Boba to stay back.
In one unpredictable movement, Jango twisted the door open; instantly aiming the weapon at the stranger.
A tense beat of silence passed, as the Bounty Hunter waited for the shadowy figure to react first. The rain descended on the roof, filling the tense waiting game with each passing beat.
The stranger shifted, his forest green eyes seemingly judging Jango's every move.
Unmistakable ginger hair.
Jango's face morphed into a scowl, the grip upon his blaster tightening vice-like, knuckles white.
Pure hatred coursed through him.
"You shouldn't have come here, Jetti." He snarled, jaw clenched in unbridled hatred.
Although this man had saved him, that did not stop the distaste of the Jedi.
The man had come for something, perhaps to ask for a favour.
Obviously the Jetti had forgotten, Jango did not owe him anything.
"Leave."
Cal's face remained impassive, the shadows dancing across his face as he ignored the weapon directly pointed at him.
Gradually, the ginger's hands raised, in the hopes to calm the other down.
"I need your help."
A sharp bark of laughter sung with bitter hostility, muffling as the rain thundered, deafening within the night.
"I told you before, I owe you nothing." The sheer nerve of the Jedi furthered his rage, as he shoved the blaster into Cal's forehead.
"You don't." Cal agreed, the slight wavering of his words, albeit scarcely audible resulted in a glimmer of satisfaction from the other.
"But this is not a favour, it's a job."
"A job ?" He asked incredulously, as if the sheer thought was impossible.
"What kriffing job would result in a Jetti needing a Bounty Hunter?"
Cal shrugged as best he could, without aggravating the other to pull the trigger.
"Could we discuss everything inside?"
The nerve of this man, to think that he would even consider entering his home.
"Obviously, I'll pay you for the job." Cal offered.
The Mandalorian must have been exhausted to even consider the other entering, or maybe the other had done his mind tricks on him.
Jango exhaled, irritated.
"I have one condition, give me your lightsaber."
Everyone knew that Jedi didn't need a weapon to be deadly. This was the main reason a deep mistrust and wariness ingrained within other guilds.
Even Jango knew the importance of a lightsaber, much like Mandalorian armour was to a Mandalorian; a Jedi was not a Jedi without their weapon.
There was no chance that this one would be any different.
Unfazed and without another thought, Cal unclipped his lightsaber and handed it to Jango.
"…"
Jango blinked, eyes boring into the weapon digging in his palm.
What the Kriff.
"What?" Cal asked easily as brown eyes gave him a pointed glance.
As if the Jedi hadn't handed his most prized possession to the enemy.
"Any sudden movements and I will shoot you." The deadly warning spat, his nose scrunched with disgust as he reluctantly stepped aside, allowing the ginger to stride into his home.
The chair screeched in protest as Jango sat opposite the other, his blaster never wavering from the pointed position, directed at the Jedi.
"Now, talk."
"I want to know how to deactivate the chip in the clones." Cal responded seriously.
The thought that this man knew about the chip, that he knew about the carefully constructed plans to destroy everything sent a mild jolting panic through the Bounty Hunter.
And yet, his face remained neutral, not betraying anything.
"I don't know if you remember or not but I despise your kind."
The Mandalorian said annoyed.
"Why do you think, for even a second that I would tell you?"
Cal paused, thinking the best way to answer the venomous question and with a hanging sigh he raised his gaze to the pointed stare.
"Because I understand." He replied finally, trailing off as Jango scoffed, rolling his eyes.
How could a Jedi ever understand?
The ginger seemed to know what he was thinking, a thin, grim smile pulling at his lips as he ran a hand through his hair.
"I understand more than you think and you might think that doing this is the solution to all your problems, but it's not."
The last three words dropped to a whisper as he blinked back the thoughts of the Order.
"That's rich coming from a Jedi."
Jango snapped, his patience waning steadily. Already done listening to this pathetic Jedi, regret bubbling at even letting the man inside his home.
"We've always been classed as outsiders, as terrible people. But we have our own beliefs, our own code and in the process..."
"You've been mocked, viewed as evil." Cal interrupted.
Jango wanted to shoot the empathetic, expression, hating his pinched eyebrows and downcast frown.
"I am not criticising you for anything. I can't , not when I have done whatever I can to also survive. But that doesn't mean I will sit back and watch you kill them. If you help me, I can help you, to make it so Bounty Hunters and Jedi can work together."
"I would rather watch the world burn than work with them."
A tone of desperation suddenly edged at Cal's voice.
"I have seen the effects of war. And don't wish to see it ever again. If I can stop it, I will. If you do this, it will affect everyone…including children."
Cal stared at Boba with sadness.
"So let me get this straight." Jango hissed, pacing the small abode in exasperation.
"You want me to help you stop the clones? And forever be on the run from my employer? Risk my life, my entire guild , for a group of people I despise?"
Brown eyes simmered with poorly hidden disgust.
"I'll pay you, name your price." Cal offered lamely, wincing at the unimpressed glare he was subject to.
It was ridiculous that Jango was even contemplating negotiating a price. Hand clenching and unclenching at the pure ridiculousness that possessed this Jetti to think for a second he would manipulate him to do his bidding.
There was no way a Jedi could afford to pay him.
"You realise that I will only accept a price that is higher than my current employer." Disbelief plainly set within his stern look.
"Of course." Cal quipped back, frustration smothering the air at how long this had already taken.
The Mandalorian ignored the waning annoyance, his attention divided as he focussed upon Cal's lightsaber.
A yellow, deadly blade sparked; humming as he activated it.
Jango caught the sudden tension emitting from the Jedi as he admired the weapon.
It was certainly amusing, to watch the evident strain within the ginger to stay seated; to not remark upon the wild blurring swings that may result in his death.
"I recall your weapon was double-bladed, does that mean you have two kyber crystals?"
"No." Cal forced out, unable to tear himself away from where he knew this conversation was headed.
"It only has one, broken in half."
The Force warned him to be prepared, eyes fluttering shut he blocked his muddled thoughts.
His stomach sank heavier than coal as the thoughtful expression crossed the other's face.
"I suppose I will accept your job." Jango replied, deactivating the lightsaber with a fluid movement.
"And payment?" Cal barely managed to work as the lump in his throat strangled him.
He knew the answer and yet, he hoped desperately that he was wrong.
"I think you know." A dark smirk adorned his face at the violent flinch that seemed to jolt through the younger man.
"Kyber crystals, especially yellow ones, are worth more than any amount of credits you could offer me."
Head bowed, Cal nodded resigned.
He lifted his gaze to the Mandalorian with a shaky, tired smile.
It hurt, of course it did, but perhaps it was time to let go.
Cal's lightsaber served as the last memory he had of what happened, what they went through.
The terrors of war.
High pitched, piercing screams. Morphing into a screeching, deafening chorus of destruction and unbridled suffering.
The scarlet red liquid stained, splattering, staining the crumpled, barren ground.
Families forever torn apart.
It would forever be ingrained within his memories, constantly mocking him of the disasters that he had experienced. Cal would never forget, not as long as he continued breathing. It served as a constant reminder of the sheer overwhelming need to succeed.
And yet…in the end.
It was his past.
It was in the past.
And he needed to let go of the pain, otherwise he would never be able to focus on this lifetime.
Forgetting and letting go were very different things.
He needed to let go, otherwise the knife of regret would plunge deeper, constantly cutting mercilessly through his heart.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled, a ghost of a breath unable to be heard by anyone.
He apologised to his old self, to his old family, to his Master.
And he nodded to Jango, a soft resigned smile framed on his face.
"You can take it."
Four words he had to drag from the depths of his heart, as if the scabs had reopened.
The pang in the Force mourned the loss, as did he.
But, with it came a sudden relief.
The same feeling that he had felt when he had face the vision of his Master. The lightsaber inches away from his face.
"It's a deal then."
The reluctant hurt was evident to see, as if it took every inch of Cal to stop himself from arguing back.
Why did it make Jango falter for a brief second…
"Considering I would be left without a weapon, I can't give you the entire crystal now." Cal said dryly, jolting Jango from his thoughts.
"But you can take half of the crystal now and half afterwards."
The Bounty Hunter hummed in agreement.
"I suppose so, but be warned if someone offers me a higher rate then I will not hesitate to..."
"To betray me?" Cal shrugged, a smile tugging on his lips.
"And yet I remember you saying there was hardly anything more valuable than a yellow kyber crystal."
"I guess I did." Jango pretended to muse.
"Please doing business with you Jetti."
He offered his hand to the other and a relieved grin framed Cal's face.
"My name's Cal. Kestis."
"Jango. Fett."
.
.
.
Anakin couldn't contain the joy as the door creaked open, his mother standing in the hallway; disbelief written on her face as she regarded her son.
"Mum." That one word cracked with emotion, unbridled relief choking him as he realised she was alright.
A grin broke out as he scrambled to hug her, head buried within her shoulder.
"My dear sweet Ani. "
.
.
.
"General Grievous." The harsh voice trembled in fury.
"Lord Sidious, how may I be of service?" A grating reply came, filling the sullen room with a cacophony of noise.
"It is about to begin. Soon Skywalker will be mine . Obi-Wan Kenobi will be arriving shortly to your location. I want you to kill him."
"Of course."
"Excellent."
The room fell into a deadly silence once again as the Chancellor revelled within the chaos of the Dark side.
It was almost time…
Without turning, his voice boomed, reaching the obedient clone stationed, guarding the door.
"I want you to find the Jedi Cal Kestis, place a bounty on his head . See to it that the Bounty is only good if he is dead."
"At once." The clone replied.
It didn't matter that this Jedi desperately tried to keep Anakin in the Light, after today all hope would be lost for the Light.
.
.
.
A garbled curse flung into the air as Jango's communication beeped insistently.
Cal glanced concerned at the strange reaction, eyebrow raised as if asking a question.
"We need to leave." The Mandalorian rushed out urgently.
"What? Why?"
With a pointed glance, the older man twisted his communicator to show the other.
WANTED DEAD
CAL KESTIS
JEDI
REWARD: 12 THOUSAND CREDITS
Cal gritted his teeth; forest green eyes widening in shock, instantly recognising who was behind this.
"Kriff."
"Kriff is right." Jango growled out, shaking his head in annoyance.
"You're lucky that your kyber crystal is worth more than that, otherwise…"
"Yeah, you'll betray me, I get it." Cal sighed.
"They'll be coming. I have a friend that owes me a favour. I'll meet you at the edge of the city, in the alleyway."
"Very specific." Cal replied sarcastically, huffing as Jango's brown eyes flashed in annoyance.
They did not have time!
"You'll find it. Leave through the back, I'll stall."
"Alright." Cal nodded, face falling in horror as he froze; blood draining off his face as the sudden realisation hit him.
"I can't feel the Force anymore." He mumbled to himself, distracted. Instead the air thickened like sludge, ringing with the dark, fury-driven rage of the Dark side.
It reminded him of Dathomir.
The Light didn't respond to his calls, he could not use it.
"Kestis!" The Bounty Hunter snapped, shoving Cal from his thoughts.
"We don't have the time, leave now."
Distracted, Cal nodded, turning to the window he could feel the prickling eyes of Boba peering at him, concerned.
"And don't die, I still want the other half of my pay."
"See you soon." And with that final goodbye, heart thudding within his chest as the Dark mocked him, he sprinted away; dutifully hearing the pounding of knuckles on Jango's home.
He sprinted into the darkness.
.
.
Running.
Cal bolted through the city. Twisting through alleyways as the harsh wind stirred, stinging his face.
Ash clouds surged through the Force, snuffing out his connection.
His feet pounded on the harsh pavements, his poncho fluttering through the whipping wind.
The Jedi didn't dare sneak a glimpse behind him.
Veering deeper into the alleyways, lungs protesting with each harsh movement, he slunk into the darkness scarcely making it in time, as the Bounty Hunter thudded past.
It seemed he was safe…
For now.
With a ragged sigh, Cal forced himself up, his adrenaline diminishing and an exhausted panic settling into him.
"Freeze." The snarling voice chilled him to the bone. A Bounty Hunter stood opposite him within the darkness, gun raised.
Cal cursed, without the guidance of the Force, he couldn't sense anything.
"Wait, stop…we can talk.."
"Shut up." The Mandalorian snarled and Cal barely managed to duck as the blaster fired, he barely had enough time to dive away from the shot, his teeth grinding together as the shot grazed his cheek.
With a sudden burst of adrenaline, the Jedi twisted around, catching the man off guard as he rammed into him, Running away.
Another stray shot scorched deep within his arm and yet, Cal spurred himself forwards.
How long could he keep this up?
Kriff , he hoped he could make it to their meeting place.
.
.
"Jango." The Bounty Hunter's ears were abused with the hissing and crackling accompanying the fading connection from Cal's comm.
"Kestis? Where are you? "
Cal muttered something incomprehensible as he slinked deeper within the shadows.
"I'm surrounded. I need you to do me a favour and send a message to Master Yoda of the Jedi Council. Only to him."
"Send him the blueprint, tell him not to trust the clones." Cal added, narrowly missing a blood red shot as it hurled towards the wall.
"You're not dying Jetti. Where are you?." Jango replied forcefully.
Cal shook his head vehemently.
"No. Check your bag Jango, If you see Anakin, tell him..."
The connection died with a high-pitched wine. The Bounty Hunter snarled a curse, his mouth thinning in annoyance.
This was why he didn't involve himself with others.
And he wasn't even paid properly.
"Dad, check your bag." Boba said insistently, tugging at his sleeve to draw him away from his thoughts.
Jango shrugged off his bag, fumbling inside to grip onto an object, bringing it out.
Piercing eyes glaring at it in sheer disbelief.
The other half of Cal's kyber crystal.
That Kriffing idiot .
He was on the run from Bounty Hunters with no weapon, it was a definite death sentence.
Gripping the crystal in his hand, he stepped towards his ship.
He had a job to complete.
"Come on Boba, we need to leave."
"We can't just leave him." Boba argued, crossing his arms in defiance at the order.
Jango groaned, shaking his head in disappointment at his son's disobedience.
"Boba, listen to me. Cal cares more about stopping these clones than his own life. Kriff knows why."
He muttered more to himself than his child. His tone was reluctant, as if he was trying to convince himself more than anything.
"He is right, we don't need another war and right now, we have the only thing that can stop it."
"But...he saved you dad." Boba hesitated, worry glimmering within his eyes.
"I know Boba, but this is just a job. He told me to leave him."
A lasting look at the horizon of the planet, the Mandalorian although desperate to justify his actions, could not halt the twisting guilt that began to build within his stomach.
He left...
Setting course for Coruscant.
.
.
Anakin collapsed onto the ground, breaths heaving desperately as his bond shredded into pieces.
Plates and glasses shattered to the ground, much akin to how the Jedi felt at the moment, tears springing to his eyes.
Everything seemed underwater, hazy and muffled. Padmé and his mother rushed towards him, he could sense their overarching worry and yet, he couldn't focus.
Their bond had snapped completely.
Destroyed.
Blood roared within Anakin's ears, unable to focus beyond his own hoarse begs that this was not real.
And with a sob, the Jedi's pain filled eyes slumped closed as he finally welcomed the darkness as it came, desperate to escape the gaping wound plunged deep in his chest.
.
.
It was dark.
Cold.
A deathly quiet consumed him.
There was nobody.
Anakin was surrounded in a suffocating darkness, it seemed to wrap around his body, constricting much like a snake who had caught its prey.
All of a sudden, a familiar figure appeared from the shadows.
"Master Yoda?" Anakin's voice sounded unnatural to himself, unsure.
Without a single look at the young Jedi behind him, the other shook his head mournfully; ears drooping in sadness.
"The Force warned you, but ignored it, you did."
Anakin physically flinched, throat closing in response; he had to forcefully clear the lump to answer. Shame burning scarlet red upon his neck, head dipped in remorse.
"I didn't realise…"
"It is too late." Yoda interrupted.
"You will have to make an impossible choice, Skywalker."
A sudden gut-wrenching fear overcame Anakin, so much so that he stepped back, stuttering through pleadings at the sheer weight he had to carry.
"No, please . Don't make me."
"It is not me that is making you, young one."
Yoda finally turned around, regarding the younger man with sympathy.
"Test you, the dark side wishes to…Beware the one in charge."
And with that last warning, Anakin jolted awake.
.
The Jedi's eyes fluttered open, an unguarded, panicked expression twisted upon his face as he gasped for air, clutching at his shirt at the agony coursing through the Force.
"Ani." Padmé was by his side in an instant, the worry within her tone didn't reach him as he blindly groped for his communicator; his vision dimming with every wretched breath.
It felt like he was dying.
After what seemed like an eternity, his hand enclosed upon his communicator; trembling hands fumbled, a garbled curse on the edge of breaking down.
"Come on, come on." Anakin muttered shakily, holding his breath as he begged him to answer, his comm chiming in response.
There was no answer.
Forcing himself to breathe he desperately called another number.
Silence.
Hand twisted around a vice grip on his shirt, a surge of terror striking him as he called the council.
"Young Skywalker." Mace greeted, an eyebrow raised at the state the man was in.
"Where is Obi-Wan?" Anakin burst out, his desperate pleading echoed through the room.
"Where is my Master?"
"Skywalk-"
"Why did our bond break? Where is he!" He interrupted, uncaring as the Senator's trembling hand covered her mouth, a shocked gasp hanging, eyes wide in horror.
"Anakin, you would do best to calm your tone."
Mace Windu responded sternly.
"Obi-wan was sent on a mission to locate General Grievous. However we have not heard from him since then."
"And you haven't sent anyone?" Anakin growled in annoyance, it was clear that staying calm was becoming a losing battle as he yearned for the rage to disappear.
"No we have not."
"I'm going, send me his coordinates."
"We cannot risk…"
"Listen to me, I'm going . My master is out there hurt…" Anakin barked, shoulders sagging as a warm hand covered his trembling arm. A gentle reminder that he wasn't alone, the fury vanished.
He had to be hurt, because he couldn't even consider for a single second the alternative…
"Alright." Mace pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
Anakin sighed, sagging in relief. Bringing his trembling hand to his feverish head, he scrubbed at his face, wearily.
Despising the empty hollowness that seemed to echo within his very being.
"...Lost contact with Cal Kestis, we have." Yoda remarked after the descending silence.
" What ?" Anakin strangled out, demanding.
"What do you mean?"
"I cannot sense his presence in the Force." Yoda muttered, distracted.
"It's as if he had been hidden by the Dark side."
Skywalker shoved himself within the Force, roughly thrusting against the coursing agony of his lost bond and deeper into the Force; his face wide with alarm at the startling realisation that Yoda was correct.
Although their bond was still intact, he couldn't sense Cal's presence at all.
"He said he was going to investigate the Bounty Hunter's guild." Anakin's voice broke as he stared at the flickering holograms of the council.
"We do not have the resources to search for him." A council member added, escalating mutterings of agreement floated through the air.
"You're going to leave him there?" The Jedi addressed the council, his body taunt and high strung, his tone itself was alarmingly flat, unemotional. Which proved the most terrifying as he battled his emotions for control.
"A choice you have." Yoda replied.
"But you cannot help both Obi-Wan and Kestis."
"You have to be kidding me!"
"Mind your tone young Skywalker." The warning floated within the air with deadly accuracy.
A silence stretched, eyes focused on Anakin as he dipped his head in resignation.
"My master. I'll go to Obi-Wan."
The young Jedi looked so ragged, so far from his usual strong self that it alarmed Padmé.
Anakin begged the Force that he had made the right choice, that Cal would be alright.
.
"Are we leaving now?" Padmé asked, voice heavy with anguish.
Anakin nodded numbly, unable to respond in words.
"Let's go then." She replied, softly.
.
.
.
"Something is wrong." Yoda muttered, unsettled.
Something was very wrong.
Obi-Wan could not be felt through the Force, his bond with Anakin violently snapped.
Cal's presence was gone.
Hidden.
Unable to be located as the dark side wrapped around him.
And there was an immense dread settling within the horizon.
The future seemed distant, impossible.
.
.
.
The pain burned, tearing through him as his heavy breaths rasped within the darkness.
Just as suddenly, the agony subsided; leaving the man's face twisted in a painful grimace, deep coughs racked through his spasming body.
And his eyes fluttered shut, despite the growing insistence and alarm from the Force, which faded into a blissful silence.
.
.
.
Anakin couldn't help but let out a groan of pain, the agony thrumming within him at the aching hole he was left with.
Unable to summon enough strength to meditate as his murky thoughts dragged him further into the crashing waves.
"We're here." Padmé announced, interrupting his crashing thoughts.
"We'll find him, Ani." She said softly.
"This is all my fault. Cal's missing and Obi-Wan..."
"This is not your fault." The Senator argued, her voice holding no room for any protests.
"We'll find him, Ani. They'll both be fine."
She hoped her voice came out as convincing, as the twist hopelessness nagged at her.
Everyone knew a master and an apprentice's bond could only be destroyed through death...
No. The Senator scolded herself.
They had to be alright.
They had to be...otherwise...she would three people she cared about.