Chapter Text
2 BBY
The stars streaked in the sky as the Stinger Mantis made its jump to hyperspace through the Koboh Abyss. No matter how many times they made that jump, Cal Kestis couldn’t help but feel a nagging sense of anxiety, recalling that first jump all too well even now. Only the low whirring of Santari Khri’s compass on the control panel quieted his unease. BD-1 beeped happily beside him as the cockpit door opened and Cal heard Merrin’s light footsteps approaching. BD jumped up onto the controls to make room for her in the co-pilot’s seat and Cal smiled at her as she sat down.
“How’re our passengers doing?” He asked.
“They are anxious to see Tanalorr.” The Nightsister replied.
“Almost there now. I’m anxious to see Kata.”
“boop-bweep!”
“As am I,” Merrin nodded. “It is unlike her to turn down a chance to join us on a mission.”
“I think she just needed some time to herself.”
“Hm.”
The two of them settled into a comfortable silence as the ship continued on its steady path. They had only been away from Tanalorr, and Kata, for two days but it was the longest they’d been apart in some time. Cal had often found himself wondering how she was doing. Radio contact between Tanalorr and the rest of the galaxy was still impossible due to the interference from the Abyss, but honestly, he preferred it stay that way. The less they exposed themselves to the outside, the better. When it came to protecting Tanalorr, and everyone on it, he didn’t like to take chances.
An alarm sounded a few times to his left and he glanced at the monitor. “Comin’ up on Tanalorr.”
A few moments later, the ship dropped out of hyperspace travel and Tanalorr pulled sharply into view. Every time Cal and Merrin saw it from the outside, it took their breath away. The planet they had called home these last seven years was beautiful, its land masses in their hues of grey and purple contrasted with its impossibly blue oceans against the backdrop of the last wisps of the nebula it was nestled in. It was truly a sight to behold.
Cal pressed a button on the control panel to open the cockpit door and turned his head toward the back of the ship. “Hey, why don’t you guys come on up here?” He called.
Soon after, their four passengers shuffled their way into the cockpit and there were gasps and dropping jaws as they laid their eyes on the planet.
“That’s Tanalorr?” A little girl’s voice asked.
“Yes,” Merrin turned toward her. “Amazing, isn’t it?”
“Wooooow!”
Cal smiled at her innocent face full of wonder. She must’ve been around the same age Kata was when they’d met. He remembered how it had felt the first time he’d looked upon Tanalorr – how utterly captivated he’d been by her beauty, despite the circumstances at the time.
“Ready to see your new home?” Cal asked.
The child nodded emphatically and he chuckled, returning his attention to piloting to begin the descent towards their home.
TANALORR
Cal shielded his eyes against the bright afternoon sun as he stepped out of the ship into Haven’s Edge, Merrin and the rest of the group in tow. BD-1 hopped onto the Jedi’s back and he turned to face the newcomers.
“Welcome to Tanalorr.”
All four pairs of eyes were wandering around in every direction, taking it all in. Tanalorr was unlike any other place Cal had seen in the galaxy, and it always seemed to have this effect on people when they first arrived here. He tended to take it for granted now, having been here so long, but every now and then he made sure to stop and appreciate its wonder. Merrin approached the two Anchorites that were awaiting their arrival, Cal following. One of them was immediately given away by the holobook she always seemed to be holding.
“Welcome home, Nightsister,” She greeted. “Master Kestis.”
“bwoow!”
“Sister Taske,” Cal returned her greeting. “All was well in our absence, I trust?”
“As ever, young sage.”
He turned towards the newcomers. “This is Tirri, Vel, Jaden and La’sara.” He gestured to each of them in turn.
“Welcome to Tanalorr,” Sister Taske and her companion bowed gracefully. “You must be weary from your journey. Come, I will escort you.”
She led the newcomers up the path and Cal smiled at them, watching their heads turning every which way as they walked. He was certain they weren’t hearing a single word she was saying to them. The other Anchorite stepped forward and he turned his attention to them.
“Master Kestis. Nightsister.”
“Brother Kline.” Merrin acknowledged, recognising his voice.
“What’s the word?” Cal inquired.
The three of them began their own way up the path towards the security gate.
“Padawans Niss, Ondam Tetsu and Utri Vera have successfully obtained their kyber crystals on an expedition east with Master Maven, they returned at daybreak...” Brother Kline informed him.
The kyber crystal caves on Tanalorr’s eastern continent had been an unexpected discovery, but a welcome one. It had meant that Cal and the other Masters no longer needed to ferry Padawans on risky journeys to Ilum, exposing them to the dangers that came with it. He would take the nydark infested caves on Tanalorr over the bitter cold of an Imperial-controlled ice planet any day.
“...And the prospectors have discovered caves in the far Southern Expanse with potential dolovite deposits,” Brother Kline continued. “Prospecting expeditions are to be undertaken at first light tomorrow.”
The news of possible dolovite had Cal’s ears perked up. If it was true, they could begin to manufacture it themselves, eliminating their need to source it from the outside. Anything they could do to become more self-sufficient was good news to him.
“Thank you, Brother Kline.”
The Anchorite bowed and Cal and Merrin returned the gesture respectfully. They continued up the path, the group ahead of them already having passed through. Merrin pressed her hand to the biometric scanner on the metal security gate at the end of the path and it opened. They continued on through the tunnel, down the stairs and finally catching up to Sister Taske and the others as they reached the archway that led into the Main Square.
Their small town of Haven was alive as always; all sorts of people milling around doing all sorts of things. As they headed into the Square, on their left were the stalls where farmers, traders, hunters, smiths, inventors, bakers and more were peddling their various goods. Beyond the stalls was the cantina, where Greez would be now, preparing for the evening rush. Also in that direction were the docks that wrapped around the cliffs where tradespeople were often coming and going with their cargo, flown in every day from the Western Expanse where the majority of their farmland was.
It had taken time, but now their self-sufficiency was almost absolute, only needing to rely on trade from the outside for the few things they didn’t have access to on Tanalorr. On their right was the sparring ring, which was currently surrounded by Padawans of various species and ages, and Cal could see Master Maven in the ring with one of them now.
1,367 people, including the four newcomers, now called Tanalorr home. It was fewer than what they’d hoped, but ferrying people on a one-way trip to a secret world had presented more difficulties than they’d anticipated. Despite the struggles of the galaxy, not everyone was willing to give up on their homes and go into hiding indefinitely, which Cal understood. In an effort to protect the secrecy of Tanalorr, only a few people were given permission to come and go through the Abyss, including the Mantis crew and the three other Jedi Masters on Tanalorr.
Of those 1,367 people, over a hundred of them were Force-sensitives, a handful of them Jedi who had survived the purge, like him, but most of them children or people who’d discovered their sensitivity later in life. Around half of those Force-sensitives were currently being trained as Jedi under the instruction of himself and the other masters. Master Nadirr Maven was their combat expert, Master Rohm Gidun was responsible for the Archive and compiling and passing its knowledge onto the Padawans, and Master Lyle Horos taught them the ways of the Force through the Jedi Arts of telepathy, telekinesis and meditation.
There was no Jedi Code, no Grandmaster, no Order. There was a Jedi Council, comprised simply of Cal, Maven, Gidun, Horos, Teelo – the most recent addition to the Mantis Crew who was currently on a solo mission on Nar Shaddaa – and Merrin. Even though she wasn’t a Jedi, she was an equally important part of the structure of Tanalorr. She instructed the Padawans in discipline and control and utilising magick for survival skills, for those who were able and willing to learn. Merrin was a valued figure on Tanalorr, the people taking to calling her “Nightsister” as a gesture of respect.
The remaining Force-sensitives were former Jedi or people who had found other practical uses for their skills on Tanalorr. All Force-sensitives were given at least basic training in utilising their power, but no one was obligated to undertake the gruelling Jedi training if it was not their wish. Cal was proud of the system they had established on Tanalorr and the people seemed contented. Every day he took in the sights, sounds and smells of life in their little paradise and he was grateful. Grateful that their vision was finally coming together, that these people finally had a safe place to call home and that the Empire still knew nothing of their existence.
Cal pulled himself from his thoughts and approached Sister Taske. “I’ll leave them in your capable hands.”
“As you wish, young sage.”
They bowed to one another and Cal turned to Merrin as they walked across the Square. “You see Kata anywhere?” He asked her.
“I don’t. But Greez may know where she is.”
She gestured towards one of the stalls where the Latero in question happened to be standing, filling all four of his arms with fresh produce from one of the farmers. Cal smirked as they approached him.
“Need a hand?” The Jedi asked.
Greez started, almost dropping his precious cargo and turned towards them. “Cal Kestis, will you stop sneakin’ up on me like that!”
“Gettin’ jumpy in your old age there, Greez.” Cal teased.
“bwattat!”
“Yeah, yeah, here gimme a hand with these, I gotta get ‘em back to the saloon before the rathtars descend!”
Cal and Merrin each took an armful of goods and walked with Greez towards Pyloon’s Saloon.
The facade of the cantina faced the markets, but the majority of the structure was built into the rock. They had found very quickly that space was a scarce commodity in Haven and many of their buildings were carved straight out of the mountain and its surrounding cliffs. It had its natural advantages, like keeping places cool in the heat, which Tanalorr had its fair share of. They followed Greez through the currently deserted bar into the kitchen at the back of the cantina and dumped his spoils onto the counters. BD-1 jumped down from Cal’s back to scan the various vegetables, Greez having given up on scolding him long ago.
“So, how was your trip anyway?” Greez asked.
“Productive,” Merrin replied. “Tanalorr has four new residents.”
“Four! If you’re not careful, this place is gonna burst at the seams!” Greez warned.
“We’ll find a place for ‘em.” Cal assured.
“brrleet.”
“I’m sure you will, kid. Now get outta my kitchen, I got work to do! Where on Tanalorr is Sari...?”
“Greez, you know where Kata is?” Cal asked quickly.
“Sure, last I saw she was headed into the Temple. Now, go on, I’m a busy Latero!”
Cal and Merrin shuffled quickly out of the kitchen, leaving Greez muttering to himself. BD-1 scuttled after them and scaled up Cal’s back once more and the three of them made their way out of the saloon back into the sunlight.
“I swear he is getting grumpier as he ages.” Merrin remarked.
“Oh, so it’s not just me, then?” Cal teased.
“bzzt-bzzt-bzzt!”
“I’m gonna go find Kata.” He said, starting to walk away.
“I will join you in the Temple shortly.”
Cal nodded at her and she teleported away in a puff of green smoke, as she often did, earning one or two startled looks from the people nearby. He made his way back through the markets and up the main stairs towards the Temple.
“Ghost star,
Wonder where you are...”
The clear sound of Kata’s voice rang throughout the atrium, reverberating off the rock as Cal made his way up the steps. He always enjoyed the sound of her singing, though it concerned him some to hear it now. She usually sang to comfort herself when she was sad or lonely, or when she missed her parents, though he supposed it wouldn’t be unusual for her to be missing them today.
“When the sky is clear,
I can sense you’re near
Looking down on me...”
Cal slowed his pace as he entered the main chamber, not wanting to disturb Kata while she was ‘meditating’. He took the opportunity to look around, taking in the beauty and the wonder of this cavern. The high afternoon sunlight streamed in from the hole above, refracting its colourful patterns in the pools left by the rain. When no one was in here training, the chamber was eerily quiet and still. No sound but Cal’s soft footsteps and Kata’s gentle singing.
“Ghost star,
Silent in the sky...”
Cal climbed the steps onto the platform of the Temple and his eyes rested on his apprentice, sitting cross-legged, impossibly still aside from her breathing and the movements of her mouth as she sang. Her long, curly dark hair was half-up today, most of it cascading about her shoulders. Her lightsaber hovered in the air in front of her, its pieces separated, purple kyber crystals glowing brightly despite the sunlight. She was so focused Cal wasn’t sure if she’d sensed his presence.
“Show me your light,
I’ve waited all night,
Ghost star, won’t you sing with me?”
The chamber fell silent once more and Cal found himself reminded of the first time he came to Tanalorr – that fateful day that would change both of their lives forever. But he wouldn’t dwell on that right now, not today. Today was going to be special; he would make sure of it. He leaned his arm atop the stone railing, crossing one leg behind the other and BD-1 climbed down his arm and walked along the rail towards Kata.
“bwa-doop!”
Cal saw the corner of Kata’s mouth pull up in a smile at the sound of BD’s greeting, though her focus did not break.
“I thought you were supposed to be meditating?” He accused.
“I am meditating.” She replied softly.
The parts of her lightsaber began to move and click perfectly back into place. She opened her eyes slowly and reached out, allowing the saber to fall gently into her open hand.
She looked up at Cal with a sly smile as she offered it to him. “See?”
He smiled back as he approached and took it to examine it closely, not a piece out of place. “You’re getting good at this.”
He handed it back to her as she stood and she returned it to her belt. BD-1 beeped happily at Kata, wiggling his little body and she reached up to pet the droid.
“You’re back early,” She observed. “All was well on Boz Pity, then?”
“Ehh, it’s complicated, but mostly. But we wanted to make sure we were back in time.”
Without waiting for her to respond, he pulled something from his belt pouch and handed it to her. She took it and looked down to see a most unusual little stone. Her eyes lit up as she ran her fingers over its perfectly smooth surface, its smoky black colour marred by the tiniest imperfections of red, gold and blue, like a vein of glitter.
“It’s beautiful! Where did you get it?”
“Found it on Boz Pity, thought you might want to carve a charm from it.”
Kata held the stone up to the sunlight and the glitter within it danced and glistened. Ever since she’d carved her charms for him and Merrin a couple of years ago, Cal was always bringing her weird and cool little rocks he’d found ‘cos he knew they made her smile. She’d gotten quite good at carving them with all the practice.
“Happy birthday, Kata.”
She turned towards him, unable to hide her smile. “You remembered.”
“Of course I remembered.” He feigned offense.
“Do not believe his lies, Kata,” Merrin’s voice suddenly sounded in the chamber below the platform. “I reminded him. Twice.”
“I remembered before you reminded me.” He insisted.
“Of course you did.” Merrin agreed sarcastically.
Cal rolled his eyes, his back turned to her.
“Do not roll your eyes at me, Cal Kestis.” She scolded.
“brrt-brrt-brrt!”
Kata giggled along with the droid. Merrin climbed the steps and approached them, also handing something to Kata. It appeared to be some kind of gold pendant, square in shape with a hole carved from the centre where a long piece of leather was attached for wearing it around the neck. It looked antique and the energy Kata could sense from it felt shrouded in a strange darkness.
“This is from Dathomir.” She deduced.
“It is,” Merrin confirmed. “I recovered it when last I visited; it belonged to one of my sisters. A powerful spell is bound to it, though I cannot say for sure what it does. This you must learn for yourself.”
“Thank you, both of you.”
“You’re welcome, Kata.”
“But those aren’t the only gifts we have for you.” Cal added.
“Oh?” Kata questioned.
He turned and began leading the way back out of the Temple, Kata and Merrin following alongside him. BD ran his way along the railing to hop back onto his shoulder.
“We need to head down to Koboh to pick up a delivery from Doma’s. If you’d like to come with us, I might let you fly the Mantis through the Abyss...” The gasp of pure excitement that came from Kata already had him regretting his offer and he quickly held up a hand in warning. “But only if you promise not to tell Greez.”
“Are you kidding me?” She demanded. “I don’t have a death wish!”
“I mean it, Kata. This better not be like last time where you promised and then ratted me out the second we got back.”
“Am I really gonna fly the Mantis through the Abyss?”
“Well, I guess we’ll find out.”
Kata literally squealed and shook her fists in delight. Cal hadn’t seen her so happy about something in a while and he also couldn’t help but notice she hadn’t promised to keep it between them like he’d asked.
“Ok, go get your gear, we’re leaving soon.” He instructed.
Kata turned and rushed off, waving at BD-1 to follow. “C’mon, BD!”
“myam-wam!”
The droid leapt from Cal’s back and chased after Kata and Cal smiled at the two of them as they hurried out of the temple.
“That seems to have cured her sullen mood.” Merrin remarked.
“Something was off with her, wasn’t it?” Cal agreed as he turned to her.
“I would not read into it, Cal. Her thoughts are likely in the past. Let us make this day something to celebrate for her.”
“You’re right.”
“I am always right.”
Cal chuckled, gripping Merrin’s waist and pulling her in to kiss her. She smiled at him and ran her fingertips over the hair on his face that had grown a little too long.
“And you will fix this before we leave,” She instructed. “I will not have you showing up at the Reach looking like a hermit who lives in the desert.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“We will meet you on the Mantis.”
With that, she disappeared in a cloud of green smoke again. At this point, he wasn’t sure if she did it to save time or just to annoy him. He shook his head slightly and looked around a moment longer, taking the time to centre himself before heading out of the Temple.
Aboard the Mantis, the group prepared themselves to navigate the Koboh Abyss with Kata in the pilot’s seat and Cal and BD-1 assisting. Merrin stood behind them holding onto their chairs. Cal pulled out his compass and activated it, placing it atop the control panel as the small machine whirred to life, pointing their way.
“Ok, you remember how it works, Kata?” He asked.
“Yep.”
“Then take us through the Abyss.”
“Perhaps for the last time.” Merrin added helpfully.
“Don’t jinx it.”
“I don’t believe in jinxing, Cal, and neither do you.”
“bwoo-woo!”
“That’s right, BD, I got this,” Kata agreed confidently. “I totally got this.”
She wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince more; them or herself. She’d watched Greez, Cal and Teelo navigate the Abyss hundreds of times. This should be easy... right?
Trust in the Force, Kata. She reminded herself.
She sat up, looking out of the cockpit shield at the nebula lying ominously before them and took a deep breath before pulling the hyperdrive lever and plunging the Mantis into the Abyss. She could hardly believe it when they emerged on the other side, Koboh and its Shattered Moon looming in space before them. She exhaled deeply in relief.
“Well done, Kata.” Cal praised.
“boo-bweep!”
“See? Piece of cake.” She shrugged.
“I still do not understand what is easy about cake.” Merrin stated.
Cal and Kata chuckled at her and the Padawan breathed easy as she flew the ship down to Koboh’s surface.
KOBOH
Rambler’s Reach greeted them as quiet as ever. Many of its residents had chosen not to stay after the Empire had tightened its grip on the planet. But even though their presence had since grown scarce after the Bedlam Raiders proved too much for them to handle, none of those former residents had returned. And with many of the prospectors having moved on, the Raiders had remained a plague upon the planet. Only Doma and a handful of others were too stubborn to give up their home.
Kata was glad they were still here. Tanalorr was beautiful and peaceful and it was the only home she’d known for the last seven years, but it felt small and even suffocating at times. She felt most at home exploring the galaxy, but Koboh was a good middle ground.
“Well, look who it is.”
Doma Dendra greeted the four of them haughtily as they entered her shop. It looked the same as ever; various different pieces of tech and antiquities in carefully stacked piles around the room. Doma stood behind the counter as she always did, her weird little pet frog thing sitting on a box next to her. Kata made eye contact with it right as its excessively long tongue shot out and wetly slapped its own eyeball. Gross.
“Hey, Doma,” Cal returned her greeting. “Good to see you.”
“bwoop!”
“I was startin’ to think y’all were never gon’ come take this off my hands! Y’all done ordered it nearly a cycle past!”
“Sorry,” He apologised. “We’ve been pretty busy.”
“Always the excuse with you, Cal, I swear...” The Waluna stopped as her small eyes rested on the Padawan behind him. “...My goodness! Is that you, Kata?”
“Hey, Doma.” Kata greeted cheerily.
“Ya done shot up nearly half a foot since I saw ya last! What’ve they been feedin’ ya?”
“Waluna ears.” She shrugged.
“Why, you cheeky little...” Doma started to scold. “Cal, you’re a bad influence on that child!”
“Merrin’s a worse influence.” He disputed.
“The Jedi lies, Doma. Do not trust him.”
“Not as far as I could throw ‘im! Lemme grab this darned thing so I can get all you kids outta my shop!”
She disappeared into a side room and various rummaging noises and the occasional curse could be heard. Cal and Kata tried desperately to stifle their juvenile giggles at her eccentrics and Merrin rolled her eyes at them. Eventually, the Waluna emerged with a sealed case that she unceremoniously plonked onto the counter in front of Cal.
“Here ya are, most of ‘em are in pretty good condition if I do say so maself.”
He popped the latches on the case and inspected the items inside. Kata craned her neck around him to see that they were various spare parts for different kinds of machines. Well, that was a letdown... she’d been hoping for something a little more scandalous.
“Thanks, Doma. I appreciate it.”
“So, must have another reason ‘sides this that finally dragged y’all all the way down here?”
“Gonna head up the mountain to take in the sights,” Cal explained. “It’s Kata’s birthday today.”
Kata shot a look at him mentioning it, to which he returned a smug smile.
“Ya don’t say! Well, hold on now, Kata you like gadgets and gizmos, right?”
Doma began to search behind her for something and Kata stepped forward. She produced a small, rusted round object with what looked like a lot of random wires connecting a top disc to a bottom disc, a cylinder in-between and some kind of switch on the top.
“What is it?” Kata inquired.
“I’ve absolutely no idea,” Doma admitted. “But you figure it out, then ya let me know, alright?”
“Thanks, Doma.” Kata smiled.
“Y’all run along now.”
The four of them said their farewells and left the shop, Kata still examining her new gizmo closely. She turned it over in her hands, trying to make sense of it.
“Maybe it’s some kind of spinner?” She muttered to herself.
“You’ll figure it out,” Cal assured her. “Ready to start climbing?”
“You two go on ahead,” Merrin chimed in, Cal handing her the case. “I will check in with Zee and meet you at the top.”
Before they could reply, she vanished in a puff of green smoke and Cal shook his head. “Ok then, looks like it’s just you and me, kiddo.”
“Why are we going up the mountain?” Kata asked, stowing Doma’s gift in her belt pouch.
“For the views, of course.” He shrugged.
“Just the views?”
“And there might be somethin’ up there I wanna show you.”
“There it is.”
“C’mon, we’re losin’ daylight.”
He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled sharply and Kata followed suit. Shortly after, two nekkos ran up towards them, braying happily. They praised and mounted their furry two-legged friends.
“Last one there’s bantha fodder!” Cal taunted as he took off.
“Cheater!”
Kata clicked her tongue and chased after him up the ramp towards the mountain ascent.
The climb up the mountain was long and arduous and not one Kata had attempted before. Following behind Cal the whole way should’ve made it simpler, except that he often deliberately took routes she couldn’t traverse so she would have to find her own way. He wasn’t one to hold her hand through most things, instead leaving her the space to figure it out for herself. It was how his master had trained him, though he hoped he wasn’t as strict a mentor as Jaro Tapal.
Kata appreciated his laid-back approach to teaching. It’d made her more resourceful, while also teaching her the limits of her abilities and how they always stretched much further than she thought. But she still knew that Cal was always there to catch her when she fell, and between his instruction and Merrin’s... unorthodox methods, she was quickly becoming very capable. Her use of both the Jedi Arts and Dathomiri magick made her unique.
It often amazed Cal how fast Kata mastered new techniques. She had such discipline and control that he certainly hadn’t possessed at her age. Well, when it came to her abilities, at least... she could’ve used more discipline when it came to running her mouth. He’d been unsure at first, of allowing her to walk the line between the darkness and the light. After all, he understood how fine of a line it was to walk and how easy to fall over the edge. So far, though, she had proved his worries unfounded. She did not fear the darkness as he had been taught to and her command of the Force was impressive to say the least, but she still had much to learn. Things were only getting worse out there with the Empire and there was still much he knew he needed to prepare her for
Eventually, they reached the final stretch to the top and Cal slowed a moment, allowing a fatigued Kata to catch him, and her breath.
“This would be so much easier if I could teleport.” She panted.
“Well, you’ll just have to train harder.” Cal teased.
“I have yet to see you displace your own matter.”
“prrtat!”
“Yes, Cal,” Merrin startled them both as she suddenly appeared. “I, too, am curious to know when you will allow me to teach you.”
“No, thanks, I’ll stick to climbing.”
“A shame – has it occurred to you that once Kata learns, you will no longer be able to win races against her?”
“brr-lrrt!”
“Teleporting is cheating.” He stated flatly.
“Says you!” Kata accused.
Merrin smiled at their banter. “Come, the sun is setting and we are almost there.”
The four of them proceeded up the final stretch of the mountain path until Santari Khri’s Observatory came into view. Kata had never seen the Observatory this close before and it was a marvellous sight to behold. It was like a floating fortress, the light of the sunset glistening off of it in the sky. She walked until she stood upon the very edge of the cliff, awestruck. She could only imagine the technical wonders within. She immediately wanted to get a closer look, but before she could even turn to Cal to say so, he was already handing her something. She took it and looked down to see it was an ascension cable, like the one he had.
She threw her arms up in the air, still holding onto the object. “I could’ve used this to get up the mountain, y’know!” She pointed out.
Cal smirked at her in a way that made her want to punch his face. “I know.”
An irritated sound escaped her throat. “You’re the worst.”
“bwee-doo-dwoop!”
“Exactly, BD.” She agreed.
Cal chuckled at them as Kata strapped the grapple to her belt.
“I will meet you both over there.” Merrin said before disappearing once more.
They watched as she teleported from one floating island to the next, almost marking their path for them. Cal jumped first and Kata followed, hoping her cable would hold, even though she was almost certain he wouldn’t give her a cable without testing it... almost. They made their way across the floating islands until they could see the Observatory more clearly.
Cal watched as Kata’s eyes darted around the floating structure looming before them, taking it all in. He remembered what it was like when he’d seen it for the first time, and climbing it had only made it even more impressive, the levels continuing up and up, seemingly endless. He found himself recalling the events of that day and the confrontation with Dagan Gera. It was less than a day before the Empire destroyed the Archive on Jedha. It still made his head spin to think about.
“Wow.” Kata breathed.
“wooow!”
“You said it.” Cal agreed.
Kata wondered what it would’ve taken to build something like this. She wondered what made it float in the sky, who would’ve worked there, what they had studied. She wanted to understand it all, to know its secrets. She was about to keep going when Cal held out a hand to stop her.
“Best not to get closer than this,” He warned. “The Bedlam Raiders still have control of the facility.”
“And? We can take ‘em.”
“You’re not taking anything, young Padawan.” He berated.
“Cal is right, Kata,” Merrin backed him up. “They are more dangerous than you realise. Best we not antagonise them.”
“boo-doop.”
“Ugh. Fine.”
“Besides,” Cal continued. “They’re people, Kata, not animals.”
“I know, but I’m gonna have to fight people at some point, Cal.”
“Not today, kiddo. C’mon, let’s get back and make camp, it’ll be dark soon.”
He turned and started to head back. Kata was about to reluctantly follow when she felt Merrin’s hand on her shoulder.
“Be mindful of what he says, Kata. He does know best.” She reminded.
“Yes, Merrin.” Kata surrendered.
The Nightsister laid her hand on the young Jedi’s cheek affectionately and smiled before teleporting away, leaving her to follow Cal back to the cliffs.
As the sun was shining its last light on the mountain, Kata and Cal set about making camp. They had all agreed they would stay out for the night since the weather was so perfect. Cal was building a fire meticulously while Kata rolled out the beds and BD-1 made himself useful by kicking rocks out of the way. Merrin had wandered off to hunt them dinner, leaving Cal an opportunity to ask Kata about what’d obviously been on her mind all day.
“You ok, Kata?” He began. “You seem off today, something you want to talk about?”
It was an invitation rather than a demand. He never liked to push her to talk to him, but it was important to him that she knew she could trust him and share her thoughts and feelings without fear of judgement.
She made eye contact with him, then looked away swiftly, debating whether to express her thoughts. She knew she could talk to him about anything, but she didn’t want to sully the cheerful mood.
“I’ve just been thinking about my parents,” She finally admitted. “I can’t help but think about what they might say to me on a day like today, if they were still...” She trailed off with a sad smile, not wanting to lose herself in the painful memories.
“wooo...”
“I understand,” Cal nodded, having assumed that was where her mind had been. “What do you think they would say?”
She pondered for a moment, then smiled. “My Mama would say ‘be brave, Kata, be fearless.’ She always used to say that.”
“You are brave,” Cal reminded. “And a little too fearless for my liking.”
“weeoow!”
She chuckled but her smile quickly faded and his brow furrowed. “What else is on your mind?”
She turned toward him, surprised as always at his ability to read her. “I had a strange dream last night.” She admitted.
“Strange how?”
She hesitated, unsure how to answer. “It’s kinda difficult to explain, but I guess it was more... vivid than my dreams usually are?”
“You want to tell me about it?”
“There’s not much to tell, it was just images, really; faces, people, Tanalorr, random things. I thought I heard a voice, but I couldn’t make out who it was or what they were saying. And when I woke up, I just felt... panicked.”
“Panicked?”
“Yeah, weird right? I know it sounds crazy, but it almost felt like... a warning?”
Cal frowned and looked away and Kata picked up on the sudden change in his expression. “What’s that look for?”
He straightened his face out, not realising he’d made one. “It sounds like an unpleasant dream.” He deflected.
Kata wasn’t fooled. “It was and it wasn’t. D’you think there’s more to it than that?”
“Honestly? I can’t say,” He admitted. “Jedi have been known to have dreams that were more than just subconscious thought. But the vast majority of the time, dreams are just dreams.”
She hadn’t expected his answer and it disturbed her a little. She couldn’t recall much of what she’d seen and heard – it was more how the dream felt that’d stayed with her. She’d expected him to just tell her not to worry about it, did he know something he wasn’t telling her? Streaks of green enveloped her hand as she flicked it up, using her magick to light the fire he’d finally finished building. They both sat in silence and stared into the flames for a while.
“Do you ever have dreams like this?” She eventually asked. “That almost feel real when they’re happening?”
“All the time,” He nodded. “Never had any of them come true, though. I usually only dream about the past, or about something I fear.”
“Like what?”
He didn’t answer for a moment, then a smirk crossed his face. “Skritons. They’re really creepy.”
“Really, Cal?” She shot him an exasperated look.
“Seriously, have you seen their teeth?! Terrifying!”
“prrtrrt!”
Kata couldn’t help but laugh at his antics, but she knew he was only trying to avoid giving a real answer. “Y’know, I used to think you weren’t scared of anything.” She confessed.
“I’m scared of a lot of things, Kata. Just like everyone else.”
“Ok, fine,” She shuffled to a kneeling position, facing him. “I’ll tell you my greatest fear if you tell me yours, deal?”
“Deal,” He agreed with a nod. “You first.”
“No, you.”
He laughed once, shaking his head and looking away to stare into the fire, working up the courage to answer. “I’m afraid of losing the people I love,” He finally admitted. “But losing myself, nothing scares me more than that.”
“bwoo?”
BD-1 shuffled over to Cal and he reached out and petted the droid, an unspoken gesture of comfort between them.
Kata didn’t quite understand what he meant by ‘losing himself’. She wondered how a person could lose themselves... often she still felt as though she was trying to find herself. Maybe it was something she would understand once she had. Her head lowered as she prepared to admit her greatest fear.
“I’m scared of becoming my Papa and letting everybody down.”
“You won’t become like him, Kata,” Cal assured her confidently. “You know how I know?”
“Enlighten me.”
“Because you remind me of someone else.”
She looked at him again, curious. “You?”
“No.”
“Merrin?”
“Nope.”
“Who, then?”
He looked into her eyes with a slight smile. “Cere.”
The surprise was clear on Kata’s face as her brows shot up. She didn’t fully know how to feel – after all, she had never even met Cere. The only things she knew of the Jedi Master were what she’d heard from them.
“It’s strange, to be compared to someone you never knew.” She admitted.
“It is a good comparison.”
Merrin’s sudden voice and approaching footsteps had both Jedi’s heads whipping around. She was holding three small creatures in one hand and unsheathed one of her daggers with the other. She walked around them to the other side of the fire to prepare her kill and Cal shuffled over wordlessly to help her, BD-1 following.
“Cal is right,” She continued, handing him her other dagger. “You remind me of Cere as well.”
“Sorry, did I just hear you say ‘Cal is right’?” He asked.
“Don’t let it go to your head, Jedi.”
“brrt-brrt-brrt!”
Kata smiled at the three of them. She found herself thinking about what their lives had been like before she’d met them. She wondered how much they’d changed and how much was still the same. She guessed that since they’d begun to establish Tanalorr and started training her and the other Jedi that not much about their lives had remained the same at all. They’d told her lots of stories from their past over the years, but they didn’t often speak about their lives before in a candid way and she found herself curious. She’d have to remember to ask them some time, especially about Cere.
“I wish I could’ve known her.” She lamented.
“Cere was a very special person.” Merrin said wistfully.
“She was disciplined, determined, and a powerful Jedi, though she would never flaunt her power,” Cal spoke of his former friend and mentor in reverence, as he always did. “And she brought out the best in people.”
“You share these qualities with her, Kata,” Merrin noted. “She would have liked you.”
“Yes, she would’ve.” Cal agreed.
“boo-dweep!”
The young Padawan felt inexplicably comforted by their words. They seemed to quiet her fears somewhat that the darkness in her Papa was somehow in her too. She would be lying if she’d said she hadn’t felt it at times. She was never quite sure if it was the Dathomiri magick within her, or something else, but their unwavering faith in her gave her hope that maybe she wouldn’t share her father’s fate. She supposed only time would tell.
“Would you like to learn how to skin one of these?” Merrin suddenly asked.
“Sounds gross,” Kata grinned. “Let’s do it.”
“You worry me sometimes, kiddo.” Cal laughed.
“prrtat!”
She joined them and Merrin showed her what to do. They skinned and cleaned and cooked the animals over the fire. They ate and laughed and talked merrily until the Shattered Moon was high in the sky. Then they lay down, side by side, the fire smouldering, and looked up at the stars.
Kata loved to watch Koboh’s night sky. Tanalorr’s sky was beautiful, and you could see the stars quite well even during the day, but there was something special about the sky on Koboh. That broken moon cast such a brilliant and complex light, juxtaposed with the brightly coloured Abyss that was the gateway to their home. It was still so strange to her to see the Abyss from there, knowing that there was a whole world – their world – just on the other side. It seemed like she could see the whole galaxy so clearly in this sky, all of it so close, yet so impossibly far away.
She heard shuffling and turned to her right to see Merrin rest her head and hand on Cal’s chest as he put his arm around her, holding her close. They were both looking up at the sky, taking in its wonder, as she had been. She smiled at them, grateful for these moments together. She never really knew how to define what Cal and Merrin meant to her. They weren’t her parents and it didn’t feel that way most of the time, but sometimes. They were her mentors, but they were more like... older siblings? Wait, no, that was weird.
It was difficult to quantify with words, but they were a family, in their own strange little way. She knew they cared for her and loved her, and she loved them. At a time in her life when she’d lost everything, Cal, Merrin, Greez and BD-1 were there to be exactly what she’d needed.
She saw them both close their eyes, likely weary from the long day they’d had. She heard BD-1’s quiet “boop” and turned to her left to see his little mechanical face staring at her, awaiting her reply. She chuckled at him softly and opened up her left arm in invitation for him to snuggle up to her, something he liked to do at home, too. The droid sat in the crook of her arm and settled in and Kata’s eyes returned to the dazzling sky.
She wished she could capture this moment and freeze it forever, never wanting this perfect day to end. She had a feeling it was one she would remember.