5 / Premonition
Tanalorr
2 BBY
With strangled sobs of fear and panic, Kata flew upright, gasping for air. She looked around herself in blind terror, eventually realising that she was in her bed in her room. She felt incredibly disoriented, having sworn she was just in the middle of Haven as it was burning around her. She could still feel the heat, still smell the smoke. And that voice again... that same unfamiliar voice was still ringing in her mind.
"wooow?"
Kata turned towards the droid sitting on the bed to her left and looking at her inquisitively.
"I'm ok," She assured him, still panting. "It was just a dream."
"boo-bweep?"
She didn't answer him right away, still reeling from her nightmare. It must've been a dream... after all, she was asleep just now, home, safe. It was just a dream, just a nightmare, a terrible nightmare that had felt incredibly real.
Too real.
"I have to find Cal." She stuttered, throwing her covers back.
BD-1 watched her curiously as she hastily readied herself, remembering her weapons at the last moment. She paused for a moment as she held her Papa's blaster and stared at the object, noticing the slight tremble in her hand. What if what she'd seen wasn't just a dream? It was the third time now she'd seen images of Haven burning, too many to be a coincidence. She wanted to banish the thought, knowing what it meant. If it wasn't just a dream, then the Empire was coming for Tanalorr. And if the Empire was coming, it meant someone they knew would bring them there.
But she couldn't think about that right now. She stowed her father's blaster in its holster on her leg and held her arm out for BD-1 to clamber up onto her shoulder, then she left the room, sprinting up the hall and out into the courtyard. It was mid-morning and the square was already alive, but somehow it all seemed so much darker to Kata now. A few people greeted her as she rushed past, but she ignored them, distracted as she was. She spied Master Maven conversing with two Padawans near the stalls and she rushed up to her.
"Master Maven!"
The Jedi Master turned towards Kata, her black eyebrows raised in concern.
"Kata, what's wrong?" She inquired.
"Have you seen Cal?"
Kata wouldn't normally address him so informally to the other Masters, but her mind was not on her manners at that moment.
"He's over by the docks, I think. Is everything alright?"
Kata tried to smile, but it felt unconvincing given her state of panic.
"Yes, thank you." She replied hastily.
She immediately rushed towards the docks, trying not to knock people over as she went. She spied Cal talking with the Dock Master and Teelo at the far end. She hurried up to them, not caring that they were in the middle of a discussion. Cal saw her approaching and uncrossed his arms.
"Cal!"
"bwoow!"
"There you are." Cal greeted.
"I need to talk to you, now." She demanded.
"What's wrong?" His face turned to instant concern.
"Privately, please."
Kata side-eyed Teelo as she said this. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, just that she needed to talk to Cal alone first. She needed his guidance, his assurance.
"I will just not be here anymore," Teelo said quickly. "Excuse me."
The Jedi walked past Kata back towards Pyloon's, the Dock Master in tow.
"What happened, are you ok?" Cal asked.
"bwoo-woo-woo?"
"We can't talk here." Kata whispered.
Cal's expression became very serious and his eyes looked up to scan the area behind her, then he nodded in understanding.
"Follow me."
He led Kata in the direction Teelo had just gone, back around the docks and into Pyloon's Saloon. He continued downstairs to the basement and Kata stayed right on his heels. He led her into a storage room below, touching his hand to a light switch to illuminate the dark, dusty space and then used the Force to jam the two doors, making sure they wouldn't be interrupted.
"Ok, we can talk here," He said finally. "What's wrong?"
"I-I don't... I'm not sure, but..."
Kata suddenly found herself unable to make the words form, her mind still reeling with panic. She could feel her hands shaking. Cal took a few steps towards her and laid his hands gently on her shoulders, leaning down to her level.
"Ok, take a breath," He instructed softly. "Tell me what happened."
Kata closed her eyes and sucked in a couple calming breaths, trying her best to compose her thoughts.
"I had another dream last night, but this time it was so detailed, I could've sworn it was real."
"Tell me what you saw, every detail, exactly as you saw it."
Cal's tone was as serious as his face, and Kata took another deep breath. She recalled the images, the faces she'd seen and the things she'd heard so clearly, but didn't know how she would describe them.
"I saw Haven," She began. "It was dark and there was smoke in the air. I could feel the heat of fires burning, could hear people running, panicked, screaming. I saw Stormtroopers firing blasters at them."
She looked up at Cal to see how he was taking any of her words, but his face was unmoving as he waited for her to continue.
"I saw you, so clearly, like you're standing in front of me now. I saw you, and Teelo, and..." Her voice trailed off as shaky breaths began to leave her lips again.
"What, Kata?" Cal's green eyes darted between hers.
It took her a long moment to answer, plagued by the image in her mind, the image of him.
"... I saw Vader. You and Teelo, you were fighting Vader."
"bwoo?"
Kata watched Cal's face morph from shock to fear, expressions she'd rarely seen on him.
"Cal, I swear, I've never even seen Vader before, but I know it was him."
"Describe him to me."
"He was freakishly tall, in a black suit and a helmet with a scary mask. His breathing, it was..."
She didn't know how to describe the awful sound she recalled hearing in her dream. It sent chills down her spine even now; she'd never heard anything like it.
"Yeah, that's him," Cal confirmed in a low voice. "What else did you see?"
"I saw Master Gidun, Maven and Horos, in the temple. I saw Jynna and the other Padawans fighting. I saw Merrin and Greez, but they were far away and between us everything was on fire, and there were Imperials everywhere," Her voice started to shake. "It was so vivid, Cal, like I was really there. I was so scared."
"It's ok," Cal reassured her, moving one of his hands to her cheek in comfort. "Anything else you remember?"
"There was a voice, the same voice I heard before. I didn't recognise it."
"What did it say?"
Kata looked at Cal, his face was hard and his eyes were focused on her.
"'They are coming.'"
Cal's eyes fell to the floor, his brows pushing together. He didn't say anything for a moment.
"I'm just being paranoid, right?" She desperately searched for his assurance. "Th-there's no way it could actually be—"
"A premonition?" He finished, looking back up at her. "I don't know, but it's possible."
"wooo..."
Kata's heart started to beat so hard she could hear it in her ears as her anxiety rose. She had been hoping against hope that Cal would tell her it was nothing to worry about, even though she already knew deep down that what she'd seen wasn't nothing.
"What I do know is that if the Force has given you a warning of Imperial invasion, we would be fools to ignore it."
Now Kata's gaze fell to the floor, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts and questions.
"So what do we do, then?" She eventually asked.
Cal thought for a moment, his face as sombre as Kata had ever seen it.
"Plan Zee."
Kata's eyes widened at the code name.
"boo-bweep?"
"Are you sure?"
"We don't have a choice. If the Empire is coming for Tanalorr, we have to stop them, whatever it takes."
"Ok." Kata nodded.
Cal pressed his thumb and finger to the commlink device on his jacket, switching it on.
"You guys read me?"
"Yes."
"Loud and clear, kid."
"What's going on, Cal?"
Merrin, Greez and Teelo's voices rang through.
"Teelo, I need you to head to the Mantis and prepare it for departure."
"On it."
"Merrin, Greez, head down to the basement in Pyloon's."
"We are on our way."
Kata narrowed her eyes at Cal.
"Why did you send Teelo to ready the ship?"
"I need to talk to Merrin and Greez first," Cal explained. "We'll fill them in later."
Kata didn't know why, but she felt like Cal was lying to her.
A few minutes later, Merrin and Greez arrived and Cal released the doors to let them in. They looked surprised to see Kata there.
"Cal, what's going on?" Merrin asked.
Cal silently tapped his commlink and switched it off, the rest of them following suit. BD-1 scanned the room, presumably to make sure no one was eavesdropping nearby.
"woo-woo-woo-woop."
"Why the paranoia, kid?" Greez questioned.
"Don't want the wrong ears to hear what we're about to discuss."
"What are you talkin' about?
Cal looked down at Kata, raising his brows slightly. She sighed and turned towards Merrin and Greez.
"Last night I... I had a dream. It wasn't the first time I've had it, in fact it was the third. But this was the first time I saw any kind of detail, the first time I realised what it was."
"What was it?" Merrin inquired.
"I think... it was a vision, of the future."
"A vision?" Greez's tone was disbelieving.
"A vision of what?" Merrin asked.
"A vision of the Empire invading Tanalorr." Cal interjected.
The room was deathly silent for a moment as Merrin and Greez absorbed his words.
"Are you certain of this?" Merrin eventually asked.
"Tell them what you told me, Kata."
Kata described her vision to them, in as much detail as she could remember, feeling increasingly sick the whole time as she watched their eyes grow wider.
"If this is true," Merrin began after Kata had finished her tale. "Then it can mean only one thing."
Merrin looked at Cal pointedly and he nodded ever so slightly, his eyes fixed on hers.
"It means we have a traitor in our midst." Cal confirmed.
"bwoo-woo."
"But who?" Greez questioned.
"That's what we need to find out. This warning has presented us with an opportunity to discover who the traitor is before they make their move."
"If they have not made it already." Merrin pointed out.
"Either way, we have no time to waste. It's time for us to put Plan Zee in motion."
Merrin and Greez looked at each other, understanding what this meant.
"Are you sure about this, kid," Greez inquired. "Cuttin' Tanalorr off from the outside completely?"
"If it means protecting the lives of everyone who lives here, yes. Even with every Jedi here, we'd be hopelessly outnumbered against an Imperial strike force. We've become too complacent; we need to take permanent measure to ensure the Empire can't invade."
"What if it's already too late?" Kata asked.
Everyone turned towards her, their faces worried by her words.
"What if we can't stop it?"
"wooo..."
"One problem at a time, Kata," Cal reminded. "We'll cross that bridge if we come to it."
Kata nodded, not feeling reassured.
"We need to find out what we're up against," He continued. "But first we need to take the necessary precautions. There are only two ways into Tanalorr: the compasses and the arrays. I'll take Kata and Teelo with me to destroy the arrays on Koboh and the Shattered Moon. I need you two to stay here, round up the compasses and keep them under watch, but do it quietly. We don't want to alert the traitor that we're onto them."
"Understood." Merrin nodded.
"If anything is amiss, lock down the planet, no one leaves Tanalorr until I return. If we're not back within the day, begin the evacuation protocols. Don't use the emergency rendezvous points, they may have already been compromised."
"Whoa, whoa, Cal, are you sure?" Greez asked.
"We can't take the risk, Greez. If the Empire invades and we're not ready, hundreds of people will die. I won't gamble with their lives."
"Ok, you're the boss, I trust you." Greez conceded.
"Do you know when this will happen, Kata?" Merrin asked the Padawan.
Cal turned to her, realising he hadn't thought to ask that.
"I don't," She shook her head. "But I have a feeling it will be soon."
"Then let us not delay any further." Merrin suggested.
"What about the Jedi Council," Greez inquired. "Should they know what's going on?"
"The only people I trust completely are in this room," Cal stated. "So let's keep it in the family, for now. At least until we know more."
Kata couldn't help but notice that Teelo was not in this room and it irritated her slightly, though she decided to keep her mouth shut. She trusted Cal and was sure he knew what he was doing, but she also couldn't help but wonder if her warning was already making him paranoid.
The five of them parted ways and Kata, BD-1 and Cal made their way to Haven's Edge where Teelo had the Mantis's engines warmed. They made their way into the cockpit, Cal sitting down in the pilot's seat and Teelo getting up from the co-pilot's seat to make room for Kata. She situated herself and started the take-off sequence.
"Everything alright?" Teelo inquired, definitely sensing the tense energy.
"We'll explain on the way." Cal replied a bit curtly.
Teelo stood behind them, holding onto the back of their chairs. Kata stole a glance at Cal whose expression was still hard and focused. She had seldom seen him like this, and she knew it meant he was anxious – scared, even. She understood the feeling.
Once the ship was safely travelling through Hyperspace, Teelo immediately perked up, probably bursting with questions.
"Ok, does someone want to tell me what's going on?"
Cal looked at Kata and she nodded in approval. She saw him hesitate before turning to look at Teelo.
"Kata had a vision that the Empire will destroy Tanalorr."
"What," Teelo demanded, turning to Kata with wide eyes. "When?"
"Last night," She explained. "Though, I'd already had it twice before, in less detail."
"Have you ever had visions like this before?" They asked.
"No, never."
"bwoo-doop."
Cal watched Teelo's face carefully as they reacted to this news, looking for any signs of deception. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, it was simply that he didn't know who he could trust. Apart from him, Kata, Merrin and Greez, everyone was now a potential threat. He could already feel the paranoia setting in and he hated the feeling.
"So what are we doing about it?" They inquired.
"We're going to destroy the arrays while Merrin and Greez make sure the compasses are all accounted for," Cal explained. "You still have yours?"
Teelo reached behind them and pulled the object from the back of their belt, holding it up for Cal to see.
"Of course, I always keep it on me."
"Good. Don't let it out of your sight." Cal instructed.
Kata found it strange that Cal didn't seem to fully trust Teelo, but still filled them in on his plan and was letting them hold onto their compass. She narrowed her eyes at him again, wondering what he was up to. She decided those questions would have to wait, though, as she had a more pressing one on her mind.
"Hey, Cal?"
He hummed in response, looking over at her.
"When I told you about my vision, you were so quick to believe me. Why did you?"
Cal's eyes wandered away from hers, suddenly lost in the past.
"Master Cordova had a vision about the Purge before it happened," He explained. "He tried to warn the Jedi Council, but they didn't listen. If they had, maybe we'd still have a Republic, and we wouldn't be some of the only Jedi left. I'm not gonna make the same mistake they did."
Kata nodded thoughtfully. She wondered how the Jedi Council of those days could be so dismissive of something like that, but then she could never understand what it had been like to live in that time, before the Purge, before the Empire. Now was all she knew.
"Well, thank you for believing me." She said sincerely.
"Of course," Cal nodded before returning his attention to the controls. "Comin' up on Koboh."
Koboh
The Mantis came to a gentle halt on the landing pad just outside Rambler's Reach and the group readied themselves to disembark.
"Well, I didn't see any Star Destroyers lurking on our descent," Teelo remarked. "Guess that's a good sign."
"brrlllp!"
"Yep, so far, so good." Cal agreed.
BD-1 scaled up Cal's back and he led the way out of the ship and into Pyloon's Saloon through the basement door. This room was in stark contrast with the basement of the Saloon on Tanalorr; far less dusty and filled with greenery. Monk was taking good care of the place in Greez's absence. The four of them hurried up the stairs, through the kitchen, Kata offering an obligatory "gonk" to the aptly named droids as they passed them, and up into the main bar.
"Well, look who it is! My favourite customers!" An enthusiastic beverage droid announced their arrival.
"Hey, Monk, good to see ya." Cal returned the greeting.
"And here I was beginning to think you were getting too busy to show your face around here."
The four of them approached the bar as Monk slid his way over to them.
"I'll never be too busy for our chats."
"Hey, Monk." Kata greeted.
"Hey, Kata, how ya doin, kid?"
"Same as ever." She shrugged, trying to act casual.
"bttzzt."
"So, what can I do ya for?" Monk inquired.
"Lookin' for Zee, she here?" Cal asked.
"She's upstairs, same as always. Jedi business, I presume?"
"That's right."
"Say no more, head on up. It was good to see ya, Cal."
"Thanks Monk, you too."
The group were about to head up the stairs when a voice to their right stopped them.
"Well, look who took some time away from his big business venture to walk amongst the common folk."
The sarcastic tone was none other than Moran's, the blue-skinned Mirialan eyeing them from his seat in the corner, another man with equally dark hair standing next to him and leaning on the bar.
"Jedi." Dreyo greeted with a nod.
"Fellas," Cal returned. "How's Koboh treatin' ya these days?"
"Can't complain, I suppose." Moran shrugged.
"Well, we could, but we won't." Dreyo added.
"Always a pleasure, you two."
The group made their way up the stairs and Kata noticed Moran and Teelo exchange a nod of respect as they passed each other. It occurred to her at that moment that Teelo and Moran were of the same species, but they couldn't have been more different people, and it made her smile. No sooner had they reached the second floor than were they ambushed by a frog-like person with long limbs and a disturbingly large mouth.
"Hi, Cal!"
"Hey, Turgle."
"Want to hear about my latest invention?"
"Maybe later, got some business to take care of."
Cal quickly backed away before Turgle could launch into whatever scheme he was currently cooking up. Ordinarily he didn't mind entertaining his flights of fancy, but today he was far too focused on their objective.
"Oh my! Look who it is," The shrill voice of an antique droid rang out as they approached her. "Not one, but three Jedi walking into the Saloon!"
"Sounds like the setup to a bad joke." Teelo observed.
"mrrt mrrt mrrt!"
"Hey, Zee, how are things here?" Cal asked.
"Admittedly rather dull," Zee replied with a hint of disappointment. "This town has begun to feel more like a ghost town these days. Oh I'm so very pleased to see you, Cal Kestis! And..."
The droid turned her attention to the Padawan standing next to him.
"... Is that you, Kata? My goodness, you've grown since I saw you last!"
"You only left Tanalorr a year ago, Zee." Kata replied with a laugh.
"Has it been that long, already? Time loses its meaning after a few centuries..."
"Zee, there's something we need to talk about," Cal lowered his voice. "Away from listening ears and prying eyes..."
"Well, fortunately I know just the place for a secluded meeting."
"The Meditation Chamber below?" Cal read her mind.
"Precisely! I shall meet you all down there in a few moments."
Cal nodded in response and the three Jedi made their way up the final staircase to the roof, where the garden was still thriving, as lush as ever. Kata's eyes marvelled at its beauty. She had spent so much time here when she was younger, helping tend the plants, and now she wondered if this would be the last time she would ever see it.
"Oh, hello!" Pili, the garden's ridiculously tall tender greeted them as they passed.
"Hi, Pili." Kata replied.
"My have you sprouted, Kata." Pili observed.
Kata was starting to wonder if she'd really changed that much in a year; she hadn't really noticed. Pili wasn't one for small talk, so the group simply waved in greeting and made their way to the edge of the garden and off the roof of the Saloon to the ground below. Cal pulled out his tuner as they approached the entrance and the door opened, the elevator taking them down to one of Khri's meditation chambers below; the same place where Cal had found Zee all those years ago. He felt a strange sense of déjà vu as the droid finally made her entrance and joined them in the chamber.
"Now then," Zee's high-pitched voice echoed in the stillness. "How may I be of assistance, young Jedi?"
"Zee, we need your help," Cal wasted no time getting to the point. "We've received forewarning about a possible imminent threat to Tanalorr."
"What sort of threat, Cal?"
"We believe one of our own may have betrayed us to the Empire," He explained. "We now have no choice but to ensure they can't reach us, which unfortunately includes destroying the arrays."
"I see, you want to destroy the arrays to prevent the Empire from accessing Tanalorr?"
"That's right. I know it was your Master's life's work, Zee," Cal explained. "But if this warning is accurate, we can't take the risk. I have to protect Tanalorr and everyone on it."
"I understand, Cal," Zee assured. "And I'm sure Master Khri would too, were she here. You must do whatever you think is right to ensure the safety of your people. How can I help?"
Kata thought she took the news exceedingly well. Then again, Zee had always had the utmost faith and trust in Cal, as so many on both Tanalorr and Koboh did.
"Is there anything you can tell us about the arrays that might be helpful?" Cal asked.
"As you know, the arrays function based on Koboh matter, a highly dangerous and reactive substance. Any sort of explosive blast that makes direct contact with the core should set off a chain reaction sufficient enough to destroy the main structure."
"Ok, so all we have to do is blow up the core of each array? Sounds simple enough." Teelo said.
"It should be fairly straight forward." Zee agreed.
"pzzt pzzt."
"Don't be pessimistic, BD-1!" She scolded him.
"Thanks, Zee," Cal said, leaning in closer. "We'd appreciate if you didn't mention this conversation to anyone."
"Don't worry, Cal, I'm nothing if not discreet."
Kata had a feeling Zee was the last person they'd have to worry about when it came to trust and secrecy. She glanced up at Teelo quickly and their face was pensive, seeming like they were deep in thought.
"Hey, we should probably warn the others what we're up to before we start blowing things up, though." Kata pointed out.
"I was just thinking that," Cal nodded in agreement. "Zee? Would I be able to ask you to guard the Mantis until we return?"
"I'd be happy to, Cal. I could use the exercise!"
"So that just leaves us to destroy the arrays," Teelo observed. "There's three of them, right, two here, one on the moon? We'll work faster if we split up."
"Ordinarily I would agree, but I'm gonna need your help with the Observatory," Cal explained. "Still a few Bedlam Raiders scattered around the place, and I'd prefer to destroy the array without blasting the whole Observatory right out of the sky."
"Fair point." They conceded.
"Wait, so I'm going alone?" Kata asked.
"You can handle it," Cal shrugged. "The array is in the forest, it's not far. And you won't be alone, you'll be taking BD with you."
"boo-bwoop?"
BD-1 turned his head towards Cal from his perched position on his shoulder.
"He's been there before, he can help you."
"Are you sure you want me going up there without you? Could be dangerous." Kata taunted sarcastically.
"It's definitely dangerous, but like I said, you can handle it. Just, whatever you do, don't blow yourself up." Cal warned.
"Thanks, I'll try not to." She replied flatly.
Truth be told, sending Kata to destroy the forest array with only BD as backup made Cal feel extremely uneasy, but when weighing his options, he saw no other logical choice. He couldn't handle the Observatory alone, and there was no one he trusted more than Kata to take care of the forest array. Besides, he knew she was more than capable, and it was a good opportunity for her to prove as much. She wasn't much younger now than he was when Cere had sent him and BD traipsing all over the Galaxy, hijacking AT-ATs and all manner of other dangerous things. She'd be fine.
"Alright, let's do this." Cal said.
The group headed back up the elevator, shielding their eyes against the high noon sun after the darkness of the chamber. Cal turned back towards Kata.
"Teelo and I will go give Doma and Monk the heads-up. The forest gate is just up there."
He pointed to the ridge on the other side of the stream where the large white gates could be clearly seen from where they were.
"I see it." Kata said.
"When you're done, meet us back at the Mantis, and we'll head to the moon together."
"Got it," Kata nodded. "Come on, BD."
"boo-bweep!"
BD-1 hopped from Cal's shoulder onto Kata's and settled himself on her back. She waved to Teelo and started to walk towards her objective.
"And Kata?"
Cal's voice stopped her and made her turn.
"May the Force be with you."
"And you, Master." She grinned, turning away again.
"Don't call me that!" Cal called out to her back.
"Whatever you say, Kestis!"
Cal sighed exasperatedly and shook his head, wondering what he was going to do with her.
"Kids." Teelo said with a shrug.
"Mm." Cal agreed.
With the help of a nekko she picked up from the stables, it didn't take Kata and BD-1 long to cross the river and climb up to the forest gate, the odd rawka or shiverpede being the only things slowing their progress. Using the skills Cal had taught her, and her trusty new ascension cable, Kata made ease of the arduous path. The Bedlam Raiders and Empire alike had long since cleared out of the area, and the trek through the forest was rather peaceful, save for the growing shadow she could feel looming over her. She had been up this way only once before, and she tried to look about her as she went and take in the beauty around her. The sights, sounds and smells of the forest were something that, on any other day, she would savour. But on this day, her mind was distracted with thoughts of visions, betrayal and uncertainty.
"Whoa..."
Kata slowed as she came around a bend and spied strange clouds of floating particles that whirred and chattered audibly. She had never seen these odd clouds before, but the sound was certainly familiar.
"Is that... Koboh Matter?"
"woo-woop."
"Weird."
She gave the clouds a wide berth, almost certain it wasn't safe to touch. She knew from experience that Koboh Matter was unstable, she'd learned as much when Cal had dragged her all over the Reach to Santari Khri's various Meditation Chambers for training.
"Koboh has a lot to teach us," He would say. "We only need to listen."
It wasn't long before Kata made the final climb over the ridge and the forest array came into clear view. She couldn't help her breath being taken away at the sight of the tower looming tall before her, and the facility around it, long abandoned and in disrepair. She could see the Shattered Moon and the Abyss peeking over the top of the rock formations that surrounded the valley. She could hear the breeze rustling through the trees and relters calling in the distance.
"There it is, BD." She said aloud.
"wooo."
"It's a lot bigger up close," She turned towards the little droid perched on her back. "There's nothing big and hairy with lots of teeth and claws up here, right?"
"brrrleep-bwoop!"
"Oh, great."
Kata looked over the edge of the cliff they stood upon and stepped off, rolling as she landed. She approached a long purple laser hovering through the middle of the platform.
"Definitely looks like Cal's handiwork." She remarked.
"moop-woop."
She ducked under it, unsure if it would incinerate her or not. She started down the ramp when a distinctive "roger, roger" caught her attention.
"Uh oh," She quickly drew her saber and stood her ground. "Hey, clankers!"
The two B1 droids ahead of her started and pointed their blasters at her.
"A lightsaber? A Jedi?!"
"Blast her!"
They opened fire and Kata deflected their shots straight back at them, destroying them easily.
"What are battle droids doing all the way down here?" She wondered.
"bzzrrtt!"
"I guess after the Raiders cleared out, they must've wandered all over."
Kata peered towards the gate before her and noticed there was a veritable sea of Koboh Matter between her and the array, definitely too much to even attempt to traverse. If only she could teleport, she thought. She doubled back, her gaze following the purple laser.
"Well, since this ends over there, I'm guessing Cal went that way when he was here last."
"brrp-bweep."
"You know, you're supposed to be helping me, BD." She pointed out.
"brrlllp!"
Kata sighed at the droid's incorrigible nature. Cal had said he'd always been like this, but she secretly thought he was a bad influence on the little guy. She started in the direction of the laser, but then felt something pulling her in the other direction. She couldn't explain what as her eyes ran over what looked like a possible route to the left, with some acrobatics. But if Cal were there, he would tell her to trust her instincts.
"Let's go this way."
"wooo?"
"A feeling."
She calculated her path carefully before balancing her way along a beam to leap to a platform. She could hear the rusty metal creaking under her weight and tried to tread as lightly as she could as she continued.
"Cal's usually more reluctant to let me go places alone," Kata observed aloud. "Especially places like this."
"boo-woop."
Kata grunted as she pulled herself up.
"I wonder what he's up to..."
"krrrzzt foo-wup wa-wa-boop."
"Teelo?" Kata turned her head towards the droid. "So that whole needing their help thing was an excuse, he just doesn't want me to be alone with them?"
"myam-wap."
"So Cal doesn't trust them." She confirmed.
"bwoo-wooo."
"Explains why he was so willing to let me do this on my own."
Kata focused for a moment as she jumped and flipped over a gap above some ominously humming Koboh dust.
"He played it off well, but I think Teelo can sense something's a little off."
"bzzrrt!"
"I find it hard to believe they would betray us to the Empire after everything we've been through. What would they have to gain from it?"
"woo-woo-weep bee-boo-bwttrrtt."
"All of us have done things we're not proud of, and Teelo's no exception," She refuted. "But that doesn't make them a traitor."
"brrp-bweep."
"That was different. Teelo's... they're not like Papa. They made mistakes, but they're a good person. My Papa was..." She sighed. "Well, I'm not really sure what he was."
"wooo..."
"It's ok," She assured the droid. "Let's just focus on getting this done and getting back to the Mantis before Cal does anything stupid."
"kzzuttt!"
Kata continued scaling the decaying structure, having to save herself several times when parts of it broke away as she grabbed onto them. Eventually she reached the top, able to clearly see the array now, and a path down to it.
"How you doin' over there, Kata?" Cal's voice sounded over their commlink.
"Almost made it to the array."
"Any sign of the Empire?"
"No, lotta Koboh dust and a few lost battle droids, but no Imps. You guys ok?"
"We're doin' fine. If you run into anything you can't handle, head back."
"I will. Be safe up there."
Kata looked up at the Observatory floating ominously in the sky above her.
"Don't worry, Kata," Teelo's voice rang through. "I'm taking care of him."
Kata stared up at the floating structure for a moment longer, distracted, before BD-1 tapped her on the shoulder gently.
"woop?"
"Right. Back to it."
They made their way around and down to the platform leading up to the array without any further distractions. Kata looked around her then, suddenly feeling that something was off. It was quiet, too quiet, save for the humming of the dust below. She slowed, her hand hovering over her lightsaber, inexplicably on edge. Then an almighty roar ripped through the silence in the air and a large, hairy, horned brown beast leapt down from the rocks above, blocking her path up to the array. She drew her saber and blaster quickly.
"Hey there, big guy," She greeted somewhat nervously. "You got this, Kata."
The beast charged at her, its sharp claws meaning to shred her flesh, and she jumped and flipped out of its way. She charged her blaster and fired, but it barely seemed to tickle the beast and it swung around for her again. She rolled just in time and holstered her blaster, using the Force to pull her other saber to her left hand and igniting it. She squared off with it and blew a sharp exhale out her mouth. It lifted both its arms to slam into the ground and she leapt up to avoid it. She tried to attack it from above, but it saw her coming and reached up with its hand, grabbing hold of her left leg. It dangled her upside down and lifted her into the air. Just before it slammed her into the ground, she managed to get her saber up and sever the arm that held her, dropping her to the ground. She recovered quickly and faced the beast as it roared in pain and anger.
Taking advantage of its momentary shock, she used her Magick to lock it in place, the green tendrils enveloping its legs. She switched her right saber to backhanded position and dashed forward and upward, slicing at the creature's throat with both her weapons in a sweeping motion, landing crouched with her back to it. The beast ceased roaring and she released her hold on it, allowing its body to fall backward. It twitched a few times, reaching for its neck with its remaining arm, before falling still. She almost felt bad for it, if it weren't for the fact it'd just tried to kill her. She panted from the exertion, both physical and mental, and returned her weapons to her belt.
"brrrlll-woo-woop!"
"Thanks," She said breathlessly. "That was a mogu, right? I've seen them before, but that's the first one I've taken out on my own."
"bweeoow."
"Wait 'till Cal and Teelo hear about this, huh?"
"wrrt!"
Kata moved around the dead mogu, feeling quite impressed with herself, and also hoping it wasn't going to leap back to life somehow. She continued up the steps and over the bridges made of Koboh Matter. She always thought they felt weird under her feet – like walking on nothing. She pressed the button to call the lift and made her way up into the array structure.
She sensed something immediately as she proceeded through the door into the control room. A dark energy that she hadn't felt in years, an energy both familiar and unfamiliar... She continued into the main chamber, her steps slow and deliberate. She examined the circular room, noticing a lot of electrical equipment and Koboh Matter climbing up the walls like vines. A blinding light beamed down from the ceiling, reflecting off the pieces of shattered glass strewn all over the floor that were crunching under her feet. And that energy again, stronger now, like a rift in the Force.
"Dagan Gera was here; this is where Cal found him."
"bwoo..."
She remembered this energy from the temple on Takodana, though it was admittedly darker and more sinister here than it had been then. For it to still be so potent now after all these years made her feel uneasy. She tried to ignore it and focus on her objective: the array core. Which she couldn't see anywhere. Great.
"Cal, you read me?"
The response was delayed as she heard the sounds of fighting on the other end.
"What's up, Kata?"
"I've got a bit of a problem: I'm at the top of the array, but I don't see the core. I think it might be hidden inside the structure somewhere."
"Then you'll have to improvise. Find the control panel and see if BD can override it manually."
"Alright, I'll let you know if we have any luck."
"And be careful, you don't want to be anywhere near the tower when that core blows."
"Got it."
Kata doubled back into the control room and located the terminal, which looked like it was still powered, if all the blinking lights were anything to go by. BD-1 jumped down from her shoulder and hopped up to an access port, slicing into the controls.
"brlloop-woo."
"What'd you find?"
"wrrllrll-wap!"
"Self-destruct sequence? That'll work."
A confirmation message popped up on the display in front of Kata.
"Gotta hand it to Master Khri, she really did think of everything."
She confirmed the self-destruct and the timer began counting down.
"Alright, let's get outta here before we get turned into Koboh dust."
"myam-wam!"
Kata held out her arm for BD to jump onto and she hurried back towards the elevator. She sprinted back across the bridges and was about to head back the way she came when she noticed the orb that was powering them. She used the Force to pull it from its dock and brought it with her, remembering seeing the circular mechanism below and thinking she could use it to create a more direct path back, knowing she didn't have a lot of time before the tower blew.
She pushed the orb into the port below and the Koboh dust around the mechanism cleared, then she jumped down and used the Force to pull the switch. The mechanism turned, turning her along with it, and the purple laser shooting from the orb cleared their path back towards where she had first dropped in. She sprinted through the tunnel the laser created, the Koboh matter humming either side of her, and stopped at the top of the stairs, turning to face the tower. She stood, waiting with bated breath, starting to get slightly antsy after about ten seconds. She began to wonder if she had failed to activate the self-destruct when a chain of explosions suddenly erupted up the tower.
Kata felt the ground rumble beneath her feet and saw startled relters flying away from the valley, screeching in surprise. Several more explosions went off and Kata saw the control room topple from the tower and fall to the ground below. She saw the shockwave blasting through the Koboh dust only seconds before it hit her, knocking her onto her back and sending BD flying. She got back up quickly, unharmed, and looked around for the droid.
"bwee-oop!"
"You ok, bud?"
"bwa-wap!"
He shook his head and waddled over to her, looking none the worse for wear. He climbed back up onto her shoulder and they both admired their handiwork for a few moments.
"Cal? The forest array is down."
"Good work, Kata. Head back to the Mantis. We're almost done here."
"Copy that."
She watched the flames enveloping the tower and the smoke rising into the sky for a while longer before turning to head back. She used her grapple to ascend the cliff behind her, and just as she reached the top, another more distant explosion sounded and her head whipped up towards the Observatory. She could barely see the fire and smoke blasting from the top of the floating structure from where she stood.
"You guys alright up there?"
"We're fine," Teelo replied. "We'll meet you back at the ship soon."
Kata nodded to herself and jogged down the slope to make her way back through the forest.
"Kata, there you are, young Jedi!" Zee greeted her heartily as she approached the Mantis.
"Hey, Zee."
"bwoop!"
"I saw the smoke rising from here, so I take it your mission was a success?"
"Piece of cake," Kata shrugged widely. "Cal and Teelo are on their way back now."
"woo-woop."
The heavy sound of Teelo's boots slamming into the landing platform next to them from above had Kata, BD-1 and Zee almost jumping out of their skin and circuits. They stood from their crouched landing and jerked their head at Kata.
"'Sup?"
"Goodness me!" Zee exclaimed.
"Where's Cal?" Kata asked.
"Lagging behind, as usual." They shrugged.
Right on cue, Cal flipped over the edge onto the platform, having used his ascension cable to climb up. He shook his head at Teelo as he approached.
"Took your time." They taunted.
"Nothing wrong with a little caution," He retorted. "How'd you go, Kata?"
"Fine. The tower is in a few pieces."
"brrrleep!"
"Oh, yeah, I took down a mogu near the array."
"Nice!" Teelo high-fived her.
"Well done." Cal echoed their praise with a proud smile.
"So, next stop is the array on the Shattered Moon, then?" Zee inquired.
"That's right. Thanks for lookin' after her for us, Zee." Cal nodded towards the ship.
"Of course, Cal. Good luck with the final array, and if you need anything else, you know where to find me."
Cal nodded at her and proceeded into the ship, Teelo following, laying a hand on Zee's shoulder as they passed her. Kata was about to follow them when Zee got her attention.
"Kata," She began, taking her hand in both of her metal ones. "I've known Cal for a long time now, and I know he has a tendency to downplay things so the people around him do not worry."
"You're right about that." Kata nodded.
"Tell me, how much danger is Tanalorr really in? How much danger are you all in?"
Kata hesitated before answering, also not wanting to worry the droid knowing there wasn't much she could do. She wanted to be honest with her, but thought it might be better for her the less she knew.
"I don't know yet," She finally answered in a low voice, not wanting Cal to overhear. "But we're gonna do everything we can to protect our home, and each other."
"Well said, young Padawan. And if you need anything at all, I'll be here."
"Thanks, Zee."
"May the Force be with you all."
