14 / Last Stand

Tanalorr

Silence; eerie, deafening. No sound but small, shaky breaths and the occasional rumble from outside. Cal Kestis stared at the ominous figure on the other side of the Temple, mouth open, eyes wide, unable to hide his shock and fear. His eyes flicked down to Master Gidun's body at his feet, his mind hardly able to comprehend what had just happened.

Inhale, exhale.

"It's him..." Kata whispered behind him.

Her voice pulled him from his trance and his face hardened as he stepped instinctively in front of her. His gaze was locked on Vader, staring the Sith down, staring down his fate. Cal understood what was about to come next, understood what he had to do to keep his family and his people safe.

Inhale, exhale.

"Kata... run." He instructed.

"What?"

"Find Merrin and Greez, save as many as you can," He turned towards her, his pain clear on his face. "I'm sorry, but you have to go on without me, now."

"No!"

Her expression threatened to break his heart as he ignited his saber.

"BD-1?" He addressed the droid perched on her shoulder.

"bwoo?"

Cal smiled sadly.

"Take care of her for me."

"brrllt-bwa-wap!"

"Cal, no!" Kata protested. "We won't leave you!"

"Trust in the Force, Kata, and yourself."

He turned his attention back to Vader, his eyes focused, his face unmoving. He heard Kata's hesitation behind him.

"Cal..."

He refused to turn as Vader slowly began approaching, keeping his eyes on the Sith. Another rumble rolled through the mountain around them.

Inhale, exhale.

"Go," Cal ordered, his voice commanding. "Now!"

He at last heard Kata's hurried footsteps retreating up the passage behind him. He turned back for a moment and made eye contact with her, now at the other end. He smiled at her, knowing this was the last time they would see each other, that hers would be the last face he ever saw. He reached out and gripped the roof, pulling it crashing down to seal the tunnel. He breathed a small sigh of relief in knowing that he had at least kept her safe.

"May the Force be with you, Kata Akuna." He said softly.

Cal turned back towards the figure in black still approaching with slow, deliberate steps, his red saber glowing in the soft lighting of the Temple.

"We meet again, at last, Master Kestis," Vader's mechanical voice sent an all-too-familiar chill down Cal's spine. "You thought yourself unreachable here, but your blind faith in your disciples will be your undoing."

"I won't let you use your last breaths to sow conflict within me, Vader." Cal's voice was even.

"You are most unwise to think you can stand against me."

Vader stopped in the middle of the bridge, still some thirty metres away from Cal, goading him into approaching.

"Master Junda's foolish mission to rebuild the Jedi Order ends here."

Cal pointed his saber to the ground and rolled his shoulders, beginning to stalk slowly toward his foe. Stance relaxed, eyes focused, expression hard and hateful.

"You killed Cere, you killed Trilla, and countless others..."

Cal twirled his orange saber once in his hand and pointed it towards the Sith as he stopped.

"... I will make sure I am the last Jedi you kill."

Vader hesitated a moment and Cal only wished he could see his face, to know how his words affected him; if he was even still human beneath it.

"You will try," Vader taunted. "First I will deal with you, then I will find your Apprentice and deal with her, too."

Cal couldn't stop the wave of pure anger that washed over him. He hadn't felt anything like it in many years. He would protect Kata from this monster, this madman, no matter the cost. He was seeing red as he used the Force to pull his other saber to his left hand.

"You want her?" He growled as he ignited the blade and shifted his stance. "You have to go through me."

Vader raised his saber and began to approach, his steps somehow both light and heavy. Cal inhaled sharply as he rushed forward, delivering the first strike. He locked sabers with Vader briefly, staring into the masked man's black eyes. The Sith Lord pushed him back, but he was prepared and did not falter. Vader's strikes were calculated and Cal parried them with the expert timing of a Jedi Master. Though he knew he was merely toying with him, testing his strength, as he had with Cere. He thought of his former mentor, his friend, and his mind burned. It seemed Cal would meet his end the same way, though this time he would be sure to take the bastard with him.

Cal crossed his sabers as Vader made contact with them, the two of them straining against one another. He could feel the intense heat of the blades' contact.

"I can feel your anger." Vader taunted.

Cal pushed back against him and flipped gracefully backward as his red saber swept through the empty air where he had just been. The Jedi squared off, allowing the Sith to come to him. Vader stalked toward him slowly and raised his saber, Cal connecting with both of his, holding him back. He stared directly at Vader, focused, centred, refusing to show his fear. He felt as though the last seven years of his life had been preparing him for this moment, this inevitable confrontation, and he was ready to face it. He had never felt stronger, never felt more in control. He could feel his anger seething under the surface, but he kept it contained, knowing that to unleash it would be his end, and he had to buy as much time as he could.

Cal slowly pushed Vader's saber downward and broke contact, slashing at his mask with both of his. The Sith dodged his strike, barely, stepping back. He paused for a moment and Cal continued to stare him down.

"You have grown stronger," Vader levelled his saber at Cal. "Master Junda taught you well."

"She taught me to let go of my fear," Cal deactivated his sabers and held them up in front of him, preparing. "I choose to embrace it."

Vader approached and Cal closed his eyes, deepening his focus, sensing the exact moment when his blow would land. His eyes flew open and he reactivated his weapons in time to meet his strike, spinning his sabers in a whirlwind attack. He blocked his blows, but Cal had seen the small tear left behind by his blade in his black cloak and knew he had come closer than Vader had expected. The Sith did not relent, instead pressing his attack, Cal being forced onto the defensive. Vader tried to wear him down with strike after strike, eventually managing to break through his defense, Cal seeing the strike coming that would end him. Not having time to think, he reacted on instinct, tapping into the dark energy within him. It was a power he had not indulged since he had fought Bode in this very Temple seven years ago, maintaining his control and composure all this time. But now he knew he had no choice but to die or embrace his Darkness.

He threw his arms wide with a yell and Vader's movements slowed for a fraction of a second, but it was enough. He pushed him back with the Force and the Sith slid some distance. One look at the Dark Lord as he hesitated told Cal he hadn't been expecting that.

"Yes... give in to your hatred."

Cal straightened up and took a deep, calming breath, pushing his Darkness back down. He would not give in to it, he would not be consumed. His mind instantly went to Merrin and the promise he had made her in that cave all those years ago. He would not die a failure, a slave to the Dark Side. He would not spend his last moments disappointing those he loved. He raised his sabers again, his composure returning.

Vader stalked forward and met the Jedi once more and Cal felt him turn the dial up. His blows were stronger and they came faster now. It was all Cal could do to hold them back, to stay alive. He knew what Vader was doing – trying to back him into a corner, to force him to use his dark power. He wouldn't be goaded into allowing it to consume him. They locked sabers once more and Cal strained against him, feeling the immense power and strength of the Sith. He could feel Vader gaining the upper hand, pushing him down slowly.

"Your thoughts betray you," He taunted. "You will fall, and those you profess to love will die."

Cal lost focus as his thoughts turned to his family – Merrin, Kata, Greez, BD-1... he couldn't lose them, he couldn't fail them. He had to protect them, to keep this maniac away from them, even if it cost him his life. He wouldn't let him hurt them; he wouldn't let him hurt anyone he loved again. He only lost focus for a second, but it was more than enough opportunity for Vader to break through his defense and Cal felt the familiar heat of his saber connecting with his right leg.

The Jedi cried out and dropped to his knees, gripping his leg. He looked down and wished he hadn't; the side of his right thigh was red hot and burning from the wound left by Vader's saber. He couldn't feel the pain yet, but he knew from experience that it would come swiftly. He groaned and looked back up towards his foe, who raised his saber to end Cal's life, but the Jedi Master was not beaten yet. He crossed his sabers and met his blow, fighting through the pain to stay alive. He couldn't afford to lose focus like that again, couldn't allow Vader to get in his head.

His wound and fatigue weakening him, he started to lose their clash. He closed his eyes and delved deep within, and when he opened them again, he was seeing red. With a strength he didn't know was within him, he physically pushed Vader back. He got to his feet, ignoring the burning feeling in his flesh, and held out both hands towards Vader, holding the Sith in stasis. He could feel Vader straining against his hold as he approached. As Cal drew close, he kept his hold with one hand and moved to strike him with the other.

Vader met his strike and Cal wasted no time in trying to push him back, but Vader was prepared. He deflected Cal's use of the Force, instead causing the Jedi to stumble backward. Cal grunted in aggravation and charged forward, now beginning to lose his composure. He yelled as his sabers met Vader's, his attacks fast and aggressive, a flurry of orange light. He couldn't stop thinking about his family, about Cere, about everyone he'd lost, and it stoked the long-dormant fire within him. Vader met every one of his strikes with equal aggression and hatred, the two of them locked in an endless battle for power over the other.

Eventually, without warning, Vader pushed Cal's left saber from his hand, the object flying behind him somewhere, and Cal barely got his right up in time to block him.

"You cannot defeat me."

Cal pushed his saber back and was about to strike again when Vader reached out towards him and he felt something close around his throat. The Jedi clutched at his neck with his left hand as he could feel it being crushed by the Force. He instantly started to choke; he could see black spots in his vision and felt like he would pass out. He knew this was it – the final mistake that would be his undoing. Vader was done toying with him, now it was time to dispose of him for good. Even as the life was being squeezed out of him, Cal could feel Vader's hatred for him. His mind was filled with one last image of Merrin's face; her beautiful, perfect features smiling at him softly.

Suddenly, there was a loud commotion from behind Vader and rocks began to inexplicably fly towards them, a few hitting him in the back, causing him to release his hold on the Jedi. Cal wheezed as oxygen rushed back into his body and he fell to his hands and knees, dropping his weapon and coughing violently. He knew how close he had just come to death, but he couldn't relax now. He looked up, still struggling for air as Vader turned away from him towards the Temple entrance.

Cal looked past him to see that the blockage in the tunnel had been cleared. Confusion overtook him, not understanding what was happening even as he heard sprinting footsteps approaching and saw a white saber ignite in the darkness of the tunnel. A figure leapt from that darkness towards Vader so fast even he barely got his saber up in time to meet them. They flipped over him and slashed at his back, an angry sound leaving the Sith as the white blade cut into his suit. It wasn't until they were next to him that Cal realised who it was.

"On your feet, Cal Kestis."

Cal took their offered arm, still wheezing, and they hauled him to his feet. He looked at the Mirialukan, his confusion marred with his anger.

"You shouldn't have come." Cal's voice was strained.

Teelo looked at him very seriously, their expression a mix of relief and determination.

"We do this together, Jedi."

Cal hesitated; a part of him wanted to refuse this traitor's help, and a larger part of him didn't understand why they were there at all. But he decided in that moment that it didn't matter, that whatever grievances he had with them would have to wait. He nodded once at them, a gesture they returned, and the two of them turned to face the Sith before them. Cal reached behind him to pull his other saber to his left hand once more and ignited it. The two Jedi squared off with Vader, now recovered from Teelo's strike and clearly pissed, stalking toward them both menacingly.

"Can you buy me ten seconds?" Cal asked, having an idea.

"Of course."

Teelo walked forward to meet their adversary, casually spinning their double blades in their left hand. Cal deactivated his weapons and quickly began to detach parts, reaching into his belt pouch to reattach others. Once he was done, he activated his crossguard saber, holding it in both hands and approaching the two currently locked in battle. Teelo relented as they heard him approach, giving him his window to swing his oversized weapon at Vader. As the Sith turned to meet him, Teelo rushed forward with blinding speed and spun their saber, slashing at his left side as they passed him. Vader cried out and pressed his hand to his wound, then he turned and slashed at Teelo angrily, which the Jedi dodged, seeing it coming. Cal swung his saber upward, but Vader parried his blow, then turned back to Teelo as they spun towards him.

Even with the two of them together, with Cal's slower, heavier strikes and Teelo's impossibly fast, aggressive ones, Vader somehow kept them both at bay. But Cal could see him having to use the Force more liberally and his saber more defensively. There was no doubt that he was the most formidable foe either of them had ever encountered, and Cal had a feeling he had yet to see the full extent of his power. Cal and Teelo pressed their attacks, not giving Vader a chance to stop moving.

Just as he was beginning to feel like they were finally gaining the upper hand, that Vader was beginning to falter, the Sith suddenly pushed Cal backwards. The force that hit him was unlike anything he'd ever felt and it sent him flying, unprepared as he was. He hit the ground and rolled, making sure to shut off his saber so he wouldn't cut himself into pieces. He immediately tried to push himself up, stumbling a bit as the pain in his leg and now his shoulder made itself known.

Cal looked up to see Teelo holding their own against Vader, their saber a blur of white around them as they attacked. Before long though, Vader gripped Teelo by the throat mid-strike, not with the Force, but with his actual hand. The Sith twisted their left arm, forcing them to drop their saber and choked them with his brute force, their blue eyes wide, but their face still staring at him defiantly. Cal panicked for a second, but then stood, pulled back and threw his saber hilt towards Teelo. He saw them pull his weapon to their left hand, ignite it and move it upwards, slicing straight through Vader's left arm. The Sith grunted and stumbled back, releasing his hold on Teelo, and Cal saw his now severed limb fall to the ground between them.

Cal sprinted forward, not wanting to lose his window, and pulled Teelo's discarded weapon to his hand, igniting one white blade and charging straight for Vader. Before he could land his blow, Vader reached out with his remaining hand, saber still held, and stopped Cal's blade with the Force. Cal grunted as he strained against his sheer power, and he knew the Dark Lord was done holding back. Vader pushed him and he stumbled back, then the Sith slammed his fist right into the ground. Cal heard and saw the cracks appearing in the bridge beneath their feet and realised what he was trying to do. Teelo must have realised at the same time, as they locked eyes with Cal and dashed forward just as the bridge began to collapse.

Cal managed to grab hold of the edge as his body fell, holding himself up, and turned just in time to grip Teelo's outstretched arm as they reached him. Their weight threatened to pull him down, but he held on to both them and the ledge and swung Teelo upward with all his remaining strength. They reached the ledge and hauled themself back onto the platform, then they reached over and grabbed hold of Cal's arms, pulling him up. The two Jedi panted as they kneeled at the edge together, eventually managing to stand, though Cal stumbled a bit. He tossed Teelo's saber back to them and they tossed his to him, then both of them looked down towards their adversary in amongst the rubble of the bridge below.

Vader stood slowly and reignited his weapon, sparks flying from both his suit and his severed arm. Cal didn't know how he was still standing after all of that, but he knew if they didn't stop him here, now, he would unleash his blind fury on them and all of Tanalorr. The question was: how? Cal and Teelo both stumbled as a massive explosion shook the mountain above them. Rocks and debris began to fall from the roof and land around them, one landing between them, both Jedi just moving out of the way in time. Cal saw the gears turning in Teelo's head as they looked at the shattered stone.

"Can you hold him?" They suddenly asked.

"Not for long." Cal replied.

"Then it'll have to be long enough."

Teelo sheathed their saber, closed their eyes and held out their arms to their sides, breathing deeply. Cal kept his eyes on Vader, igniting his saber, ready to defend Teelo against him. He heard the walls and roof of the Temple around them begin to crack and shatter and Teelo's face contorted from the strain. Vader took two steps toward them and Cal began to panic.

"Teelo..."

"Now!"

Still feeling his dark energy fuelling him, Cal reached out toward Vader with both hands and held him in stasis, feeling as though the effort alone might actually kill him. Teelo closed their fists, pulling the rocks from the very mountain and threw their arms forward, hurtling them at the Sith below. Cal released his hold, dropping to his knees from exhaustion and watched as Vader was buried alive beneath the rock. When it was over, and all was quiet save for the sound of the stone settling, Teelo also dropped to their knees, both of them spent.

"That won't hold him forever." They panted.

Cal knew they were right, that there was nothing more they could do here. He had to hope they had bought enough time for the others to escape – they had to get out of there, now. He looked up toward the entrance and his face fell.

"Tunnel's blocked." He informed.

"Shit..." Teelo cursed.

The two of them looked around, eyes searching for a way out, knowing neither of them would have the strength left to clear the tunnel again. Cal looked up and saw a hole in the roof of the mountain big enough that he could see the stars beyond it.

"Only way out is up." He coughed.

Teelo's gaze followed his, then they looked around again, probably trying to figure out how the hell they were going to get up there.

"There!"

Cal looked behind him and saw what they were looking at; the corpses of two Jump Troopers that he somehow hadn't noticed at the far side of the Temple. They must have made their way in before the tunnel had collapsed and trapped the Younglings inside. He realised that must have been how Master Gidun had been injured: fighting them. Teelo scrambled to their feet and Cal tried to follow, but the pain in his right leg stopped him. They knelt down and yanked the jetpack from the back of one of the Troopers, examining it.

Another blast hit the outside of the mountain and the rumble it made was the largest yet, causing Teelo to lose their balance. Cal shielded his face as another rock fell near him and he was sprayed with shrapnel. Teelo walked back to him and grabbed his arm, helping him up.

"Hold onto me!" They shouted over the noise.

Cal grabbed onto them and they activated the jet pack, blasting them both upward towards the now much bigger hole in the top of the mountain. Cal looked back down toward the collapsed bridge in time to see Vader catapult the rocks burying him in every direction. He ducked as a small one flew by extremely close to his head, hearing the whistle of it flying through the air so clearly. As they made it outside, the mountainside began collapsing around them, blasts from the bombers he could see flying overhead having all but destroyed it. The jetpack on Teelo's back started to fail and they both jumped toward the rock face. They landed and slid down the north side of the mountain, the landslide tumbling after them rapidly. Cal dared not look back, focusing on his path downward, the noise of the collapsing rock behind him absolutely deafening.

The edge approached and Cal saw Teelo disappear over it ahead of him, grabbing hold of something before they could fall. Cal prepared himself to do the same, his hand gripping onto a thick tree root as his body slid over the edge. He stopped momentarily, but then the root snapped under his weight and he heard Teelo call his name as he fell to the ground below. He landed at the top of the Temple stairs and tumbled down them into the square. His ears were ringing and he shook his head to try and clear it and right his vision. He coughed, clutching his left side; the impact with the ground had broken at least one of his ribs, he could feel it. He forced himself onto his hands and knees as he felt Teelo's hands grab him.

"Cal! Are you alright?"

It was hard for Cal to hear them through the ringing, but he nodded his head, unable to reply. Teelo started to haul him up.

"Come on, we gotta move!"

They pulled him to his feet and put his arm around their shoulders, supporting him and starting to walk quickly across the square that was once so full of life, now deserted of it. The smoke was thick in the air as everything burned and Cal could see the bodies of the people he knew littered on the ground around them. He couldn't bear to look at their faces, knowing that he'd failed them. He kept his mind focused on moving forward, trying to ignore the pain in his body as they reached the stairs up towards Haven's Edge.

"Vader!" Teelo suddenly shouted.

Cal looked behind them to see the Sith emerging from the Temple, wrenching the very rock from his path with the Force. Fear and adrenaline overtaking him, he found a last morsel of strength within and pushed himself forward. The two of them climbed the stairs as fast as they could and jogged up the tunnel towards the gate. As they went, the tunnel began to collapse behind them as Vader tried to crush them inside. Cal put his head down and sprinted behind Teelo who kept looking back to make sure he was still following. The security gate had been blown open by the Imperial forces and they ran straight through it and up the path.

"The Rogue!" Teelo called.

Cal looked up to see that Teelo's ship was still there, thank the Force. He also noticed that the Mantis was gone and he hoped against hope that Merrin, Greez, Kata and BD-1 had left on it. The two Jedi rushed onto the ship, turning back to see the trail of destruction Vader was causing rapidly approaching.

"Gimme your blaster!" Cal instructed.

Teelo handed it to him without hesitation and Cal exchanged it for his Abyss compass.

"Get us out of here, I'll hold him off!"

They nodded at him and disappeared into the cockpit. The Rogue's engines soon fired up and they were in the air. Cal kept his footing as he stood in the open bridge door, the winds whipping at his hair and clothes. He saw Vader approaching up the path and immediately opened fire in his direction with both his blaster and Teelo's. He wasn't trying to hit him necessarily, knowing that was pointless, but trying to slow his advance. Vader deflected the bolts with ease with his saber – a few of them flying straight back at the Jedi, which he narrowly dodged – and Cal saw him reach toward the ship. Alarms blared from the cockpit as the Sith gripped the ship, Cal almost falling through the open door as he lost his balance. He slammed his fist on the button to close the bridge door.

"Teelo, punch it!" He shouted.

The ship creaked and groaned and Cal saw some sparks fly from the walls. He was going to crush them if they didn't jump away. He could hear Teelo straining on the controls to turn the ship toward the Abyss. A few agonising seconds passed before Cal saw the stars streak through the cockpit shield and the ship lurched into hyperspace.

He'd had the good sense to grab hold of something so the sudden momentum wouldn't send him to the floor, knowing his body couldn't handle another blow right now. The Jedi struggled for air, his chest heaving as he tried to remain standing. His legs shook and his arms felt weak as he crossed the room, having to grab hold of the doorway to the cockpit as he felt like he might pass out. He couldn't afford to lose consciousness; they weren't out of the woods yet. He stumbled his way into the co-pilot's seat, seeing Teelo look at him from his peripheral vision. Neither Jedi said a word as the agonising minutes passed before they emerged on the other side of the Abyss.

They saw the Star Destroyer lurking above Koboh, the smoke on its surface, and Cal's face fell as he instantly knew what had happened at Rambler's Reach. They couldn't see any other ships in the vicinity, and he hoped that meant they had already jumped away. Teelo wasted no time in punching in coordinates and making the second jump. It took Cal a second after the cockpit had lit up blue from the hyperspace tunnel to turn to Teelo.

"Where did you jump us to?" He asked evenly.

"Malastare." They replied.

That one word, that planet's name was enough to bring everything rushing back to Cal. What he'd seen in the Rogue's logs, Brother Kline's murder, the vision that he'd seen of who'd killed him... it all came flooding back. Cal glared at Teelo for a moment, the other Jedi either not noticing, or pointedly ignoring his stare. He stood, still slightly wobbly and made his way back out into the main area of the ship, gripping the wall for support. Still very much feeling the Dark Side's hold over him, his anger began to boil under the surface once more. He heard Teelo stand and follow him tentatively.

"Cal?"

Their trepidatious voice caused Cal to stop and turn his head to the side. He stood perfectly still for a moment, deep, rageful breaths leaving his body. He heard them take another tentative step toward him and something inside of him snapped. Acting completely on instinct, he turned and used the Force to pull Teelo's saber to his left hand and pointed their own blaster at them, which he still held in his right. Teelo held out their hands and looked him in the eyes, trying their best not to look threatening.

"Cal..."

"Don't!" He warned.

A long, tense silence passed between them, no sound but the gentle hum of hyperspace travel and both of their quick breaths, as Cal debated whether or not to just shoot them outright. But given that they had just saved his life, he hesitated.

"Because you came back for me," His voice was low, hostile. "Is the only reason you are still breathing."

Teelo didn't respond, probably aware that they should be very careful of what they said. Their blue eyes darted all over his face, the fear in them obvious.

"Where is Merrin?"

The question was the first on Cal's mind, as the last time he'd heard from her, she was going to stop them leaving Tanalorr. And yet here they were, alive and well, which he knew meant one of two things: either he'd missed something crucial, or...

"I don't know." Teelo responded.

Cal took a step forward and threatened Teelo with their own blaster, inhaling sharply.

"The last I saw her was in the square," They added quickly. "Kata found us and told us you were in the Temple fighting Vader. That was the last I saw of them Cal, I swear, they were both alive when I left them."

Cal didn't know whether to believe them, he didn't know if anything coming out of their mouth was the truth. It was hard for him to think through the noise in his head. His expression became pained and the hand holding Teelo's blaster shook slightly.

"What did you do?" His voice broke as the question left his lips.

Teelo's expression mirrored his.

"Cal, please—"

"As your friend, I am giving you one chance to explain yourself," Cal's raised voice shook. "If you lie to me again, I swear I will blast your brains out."

Teelo hesitated, clearly terrified, knowing Cal would make good on his threat if they said the wrong thing.

"I know how this looks," They began, their own voice shaking. "I swear to you I didn't do this."

Shaky breaths forced their way through Cal's mouth. He stared them down, searching their face for deception, disbelief on his own.

"How it looks?" He demanded. "Your compass was a fake, Teelo!"

"What?"

Their surprise seemed genuine. Either they were honestly confused by this, or they were a very good actor.

"Th-that doesn't make any sense," They stuttered. "I used it to get back from Nar Shaddaa."

"I saw you murder Brother Kline."

Clear confusion crossed the Mirialukan's face.

"That's impossible…"

"I saw you, Teelo!" Cal disputed.

"I didn't kill him, Cal, I couldn't have. Not unless I was in two places at once."

"What are you talking about?"

A shaky breath left the Mirialukan's mouth, but they held Cal's gaze evenly.

"The last time anyone saw Kline was just after midnight and he didn't fail to report for duty until first light." They explained.

"Let me guess: you have an alibi?" Cal's tone was condescending.

"I was with Maven," Teelo admitted. "All night, I didn't leave her room until later that morning."

Cal didn't know exactly how that was supposed to clear their name – knowing they hadn't killed someone because they had been too busy sleeping with a traitor. Everyone in Haven had known about the two of them, but no one really cared. It was their business, after all. Cal felt like an idiot for not realising they were collaborating sooner.

"It was her, wasn't it?" Teelo suddenly asked. "She betrayed us."

Cal looked them up and down.

"And how would you know that?"

"I realised what she'd done as soon as I saw Kline's body." They explained.

"And she's dead now, how convenient for you." He observed.

Teelo's eyes widened and their mouth fell open slightly.

"Maven's dead?"

Their once again seemingly genuine shock was throwing Cal off. He didn't know what to believe, something within him screamed that this was all part of the deception, but a part of him was beginning to doubt.

"She confessed her betrayal right before I cut off her head."

Teelo's eyes wandered to the floor, looking very much like they were struggling to comprehend what he was telling them. Cal kept his guard up, not meaning to be tricked into letting it down. He knew how dangerous an individual Teelo really was; they could kill him in a second and he wouldn't have been able to stop them.

"I was a damn fool, Cal," Teelo cursed themself. "I should've known, but I never saw it – never saw what she was. She set me up, orchestrated this whole thing and made sure I would take the fall."

"That's your angle? This is a set up?"

"Think about it for a minute, why would I report Kline missing if I was the one who killed him? Why would I help look for him? If I knew the Empire would invade that day, why didn't I just leave?"

Cal's eyes shifted down briefly, having not really thought about the why until that moment.

"Why would I stay? Why would I defend Tanalorr? Why would I save you from Vader? You know it doesn't make sense."

Cal's anger finally clearing enough for him to think for a moment, he knew they were right – it didn't make sense. What kind of fool would put themselves in the way of their own firing squad? Unless this was all part of a longer game for Teelo that he just couldn't see yet. His eyes flicked back to theirs.

"All I know is that what you've told me hasn't always been the truth," He finally replied. "And it wouldn't be the first time I trusted someone I shouldn't have..."

"I know you were betrayed before, Cal, but I am not Bode," They reminded. "So don't punish me for what he did to you."

For a second, Cal considered shooting them just for saying that, but their words instead gave him pause. Was he just projecting what Bode had done onto them? Was his history actually repeating itself, or was that just what he believed because it was the convenient explanation? Either way, this whole situation was feeling far too familiar for him. He looked down at the Mirialukan, their desperate expression begging him to believe them.

"I know I haven't always been honest with you, but that is in the past. I promised you no more lies, and I am not lying to you now. I could never hurt you or your family, Cal, they're my family too. Everything that I have, everything that I am today is because of you! Do you really think I would throw that away for some half-cooked deal with the Empire – the same Empire that took everything from us? Damn it, Cal, you know what they did to me! You really think I would work with those scum?"

Cal wanted to believe them, desperately wanted it to be true. But he had seen them murder Brother Kline, clear as day. He didn't even know of any power that existed that could fool him like that; that could make him see things through his psychometry that weren't real. But he looked into Teelo's pleading eyes and saw no signs of deception. All he saw was a person he'd known for three years. A person he had pulled from their own Darkness, welcomed and accepted into his family. A person he had laughed with, been vulnerable with and fought side-by-side with. A friend who was just as shattered by their loss as he was.

"Why were you on Malastare?"

This final question burning a hole in Cal's mind appeared to trip them up for a second, but they seemed to quickly deduce how he knew about their side-trip to Malastare.

"When I was on Nar Shaddaa," They explained calmly. "The Rebels there seemed to think the Imperials that cleared out of the garrison might've fled to the communications base there, so I chased the lead."

"Why didn't you mention it to me?"

"Because I didn't find anything, Cal, it was a dead end. I didn't think it was relevant."

Cal couldn't exactly blame them for compartmentalising that information, fishy as it had seemed. He was finding it increasingly difficult to believe this was all one big deception on Teelo's part. He had never thought of them as having the capacity to be deceptive, but he also remembered how they had hid their secret from him, from all of them, until they had been forced to reveal it. Of course, at the time he had understood; had he been in their position, he probably wouldn't have told the truth outright, either. The last week of their lives had been such a confusing mess that he didn't know what was real or true anymore.

"I want to trust you..."

Cal's voice was low, defeated. Able to break through the fog of anger and confusion around him at last, he relented, lowering the blaster he held but keeping his eyes fixed on Teelo.

"... but right now, I don't even trust myself."

Cal saw Teelo blow out a small exhale of relief as they lowered their arms.

"I couldn't kill Bode until he gave me no choice," Cal lamented. "If you give me no choice..."

"I hear you."

Their response was detached, distant. They looked up at him, their face serious and their eyes sad. Cal gripped their blaster by the barrel and tossed it back to them followed by their lightsaber. They caught both and holstered them, then the two Jedi stood awkwardly, neither knowing what to say.

"What do we do now?" Teelo asked softly.

That was the big question: what now? Cal knew there was only one thing for them to do.

"We have to find the others, wherever they are."

"Ok, so where are they? Is there some way we can locate them?"

Cal shook his head.

"Not unless they activate their homing beacons, which it may not be safe for them to do depending on where in the Galaxy they are."

"Right." Teelo sighed.

"But if Kata was with Merrin and Greez, they should've gone to Alderaan."

"Why Alderaan?"

"It was where I told Kata to go if the Empire invaded; only she and I knew about it."

"Ok, then we start there."

Cal nodded at them and turned away as they went to the holoprojector to change the ship's course. He only took one step before all of his pain came rushing back, having forgotten about it with all the adrenaline and tension. He groaned and gripped the edge of the sofa beside him, his face contorting as he gripped his leg, the saber wound being the worst of his pain. He heard Teelo approaching.

"Will you let me help you with that, at least?" They asked.

Cal looked up at them, the pain clear on his face, debating. Eventually he nodded, deciding that if they wanted to hurt him, they'd have done it already. Teelo disappeared towards the back of the ship and Cal sat down on the sofa, the movement pulling at everything in his body that hurt. He looked down at his thigh and examined the ugly wound; it was going to leave a nasty scar, not that he didn't have plenty of those already. Teelo returned swiftly with a medical kit and got to work. Cal watched them closely, only noticing now how battered and bruised they both looked. They pressed a bacta pad to Cal's saber wound and he grunted in pain through gritted teeth as it burned.

"Anywhere else?" They asked.

"My rib feels broken."

"Not much to be done about that."

"No," Cal agreed. "I'll try to heal it myself, when I get my strength back."

Teelo nodded in response.

"Your head is bleeding." They stated, reaching up toward him.

That explained the earlier ringing in Cal's ears. He hadn't even realised he'd hit his head and thought it must've happened when he fell down the stairs. Teelo cleared the blood away and inspected the cut above Cal's left ear.

"It's not bad." They shook their head.

They applied bacta to it and Cal winced, keeping his eyes on them.

"You alright?" He suddenly asked.

Their eyes flicked to his, then back to what they were doing.

"Aside from getting shot at by Stormtroopers, Vader almost choking me out, nearly getting crushed by a landslide and you threatening to shoot me? Yeah, I'm fine."

Cal scoffed humourlessly, not having the capacity to find that funny in that moment. His eyes rested on Teelo's neck, noticing the red and purple marks appearing on their green skin from where Vader had gripped them with his hand. He looked away, not wanting to think about all that had just happened. He wanted to stay focused on finding his family; he could deal with the rest later.

Teelo finished tending Cal's injuries and stood.

"I know it might be next to impossible, but try to get some rest," They instructed. "We'll reach Alderaan in about twelve hours."

Cal nodded in response and Teelo returned to the cockpit, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Cal sat back in his seat, closed his eyes and tried not to think about Merrin, Kata, Greez and BD-1, but they were all he could think about. He didn't know where any of them were, or if they were still alive, but he had to hold on to hope. If he didn't, he would lose himself to despair, and that he could not afford to do. He looked down at his hands and saw them shaking. His knuckles were raw, some of them with open sores, probably from their rough descent down Santari's Peak. He removed his gloves and rubbed his aching hands. Every inch of his body was tired.

He rested his head back again and took a deep, centering breath. Feeling exhaustion take hold, but not wanting to fall asleep and leave himself vulnerable, still not trusting Teelo completely, he tried to quiet his mind to meditate. As he did so, he could feel the Darkness creeping in; the energy that had been dormant within him for so long he had almost forgotten how it felt to unleash it. He knew he would be dealing with the consequences of his liberal use of the Dark Side of the Force today for the rest of his life. Yet somehow, he had faced Vader – his greatest nightmare – and lived. He was still breathing, still going. He hadn't been expecting to; he had gone into that fight knowing it would be his last.

He put Vader, the Dark Side, Tanalorr and everything else from his mind, everything but his family. They were out there, somewhere, and they needed him. He had to find them, to know that they had survived. It was all he cared about now.