mini-fic!
Cal and Merrin training, from Greez's POV.
1k words.
Cal and Merrin face off in a small clearing not far from the Mantis. She has a staff in hand, new and sturdy, just picked up from an outpost market, and Cal has…nothing. In fact, his lightsaber sits next to a nonchalant Cere, who’s scrolling through a holopad, seemingly unaware that Cal is about to get his ass kicked by an armed Nightsister.
Their resident Jedi Knight is a powerhouse, sure, and Greez is thankful every day he’s on their side, but without his lightsaber… Greez takes one look at the situation and decides he really don’t want to know.
He asks anyway.
“Training!” Cal says without opening his eyes. Greez isn’t going to question it. Not this time. Nope. Merrin watches Cal closely, one end of her staff buried in the soil, her hands folded on the other end so she can rest her cheek on the back of them. She waits patiently.
They all seem to be waiting for something. Even Greez, who still has no idea how this qualifies as ‘training.’ And Cere, who still doesn’t look up from her ‘pad, takes a serene sip of her drink. She’s probably using some freaky Force thing to sense what’s going on.
Cal looks like he’s meditating standing up. Deep, slow breaths. Calm expression. He keeps his hands lowered, like he’d used them to direct his breaths and then left them down on the exhale. Greez has seen Cal and Cere on early mornings, moving in sync with each other as they go through a fluid, tranquil set of movements without their lightsabers. It always started and ended with them directing their breaths like that.
Greez moves next to Cere, feeling like an intruder, but unable to stop watching.
The atmosphere is calm. Poised.
Then Cere says, “Go.”
Merrin is fast. She kicks her staff up and swings fiercely, devastating even without her magicks. She’s aiming straight for Cal’s head –
– who doesn’t karkin’ move. Greez lurches, a shout on his lips, but Cere puts out a hand to stop him. Wait and see, she doesn’t say, but Greez knows that look.
Cal dodges without opening his eyes. Minimal movement, languid in a way Greez’s never seen before. Merrin’s eyes flash in determination and she’s quick to go in for another strike. He dodges again, body twisting, never taking more than a couple centimeters more than he needs to avoid her staff. Greez’s heart eventually calms as the two of them move in tandem. Like a dance. An elegant and mesmerizing back and forth.
It could almost be a performance. Something specially created for a dramatic stage.
Eventually, though, Cal’s calm expression starts to pinch. Mouth twisted into a grimace, sweat beads up on his forehead and darkens his training top. He falters. Dodges a second slower. Moves a little further out of the way than he was before.
Merrin swings her staff just has hard, just as fast as she has been, but Cal doesn’t dodge in time. He flinches and stumbles – and Merrin’s not stopping.
That determination slides into panic, Merrin’s eyes widening, but the momentum is too quick even for her. She tries to change the target from Cal’s head to somewhere safer, like his arm, because a broken arm is better than a broken skull, but she’s too fast and he’s fumbling and –
Just before the staff connects – it wasn’t going to make it to his arm, Greez realized with a sick horror – it flies out of Merrin’s grip into Cere’s hand. Holopad and drink forgotten, Cere twirls the staff in one hand before she plants the edge into the dirt. Greez hadn’t even seen her move. Hells.
Cal drops to the ground, heaving for breath. He groans out a heartfelt swear in some language Greez doesn’t recognize – Greez discovered early in their mission for the holocron that the kid knew way too many languages. Seriously, a kid that young, five years on a backwater planet like Bracca or not, shouldn’t know so many languages! Let alone all those karkin’ swears.
“Language,” Cere scolds mildly. Cal just groans again. “What happened?”
He props himself up on his elbows, hair in disarray and the side of his face speckled with dark soil. Merrin carefully pats the soil off the back of his head, her movements stiff. “It started to feel too easy, and I panicked,” he admits. “I started overthinking.”
“How do we fix it?”
“…Don’t do that?” Cal offers, grinning. Cere raises an eyebrow. He takes Merrin’s hand and allows her to heave him up. Greez doesn’t miss the way he subtly squeezes her hand in reassurance before he lets go. “I got complacent. If there was another opponent, I would’ve been taken out a lot sooner. It was only the Force and Merrin, and I freaked when I realized I didn’t know anything else.”
Cere nods. “In other words, you sank too deep. That’ll only be fixed with more practice. You can’t do that in the middle of real combat.”
Cal sighs gustily. “More practice,” he agrees as he holds out a hand and Merrin’s staff comes flying to smack into it. He twirls it with a flourish before presenting it in a low and dramatic bow to an amused Merrin just to make her smile. She does, helplessly charmed, before she quickly twists it into a smirk as she takes it back, a faint blush on her cheeks. Cere hides her own smile behind her hand.
“Next time, maybe don’t aim for his head?” Greez suggests.
Merrin looks disgusted by the very idea. “Then how will he learn? Training must prepare you for battle. If you do not fear for your life in training, then you will not fear for your life in true war. You will die.”
Cal laughs loudly over Greez’s sputtering. “Yeah, Greez, how will I learn? Merrin, aim for the head any time.”
“With pleasure. Someone must knock sense into you.”
Greez drags a hand down his face in despair. What did he get himself into?
Decided to post Dark Comforts here, after all, because there's really no reason why I shouldn't! I mean, other than the fact that it's Explicit, so, you know... 18+ and all that.
It's a story about an Inquisitor Cal and a TIE pilot with a secret... she's a survivor, just like him.
Ao3 Clickything
It's currently 8,888 words long, and written un-beta'd over the course of, uh... a week, maybe? So it's in its purest form, let's say. Chapter count has been increased from 4 to 5, but I may add more. I've got an idea of where I want this to go. It's also the first ever story I've written in second person POV, which is an exercise I'm finding very interesting. It allows me to really focus on the second-by-second dripfeed of information in a way that my typical third-person past tense style doesn't quite allow for. I've tried to make the reader character interesting whilst still not describing her physically, other than, you know... she's female, and she's hot, I guess?
I've taken sort of a sadboi route with Inquisitor Cal, as I personally interpret him as being so horrifically vicious because his deeply good, kind base nature isn't that far below the surface. To be an Inquisitor warped by pain he's got to constantly war with himself, and if so inclined to a person, can find it dangerously easy to get in touch with his better self. The way he operates is by denying his empathy, not by not having it -- but there are pieces of who he is that no matter what, he can never truly suppress... and that may be the foothold he needs.
Summary: There is another! Yearsafter young Anakin Skywalker departed Tatooine, his mother Shmi delivers a secondchild—this time, a daughter. Whilst the circumstance of the girl’s birth remains unexplained, Irele Skywalker has yet to choose the true path between those laid out for her.
A/N: Hello guys, I’m sorry if I’ve become so inactive last year. The slump was one thing, but more and more things kept piling on my shoulders that it’s becoming more difficult to bear. I lost my grandmother last year. My only comfort was that I was able to take care of her and spend time with her. For a while, I lost my energy to write at the time; and now that it’s the new year, I’m picking up my old habits again. I hope you guys have had a great Christmas and I wish you guys a wonderful 2022. ❤ As for me, I’m okay and I will be.
Their screams echoed in the ice, but no one to hear it but themselves as they wind got colder and heavier. Cal managed to snatch a stray cable on one hand—apparent scraps from the excavation—and used to Force to shrink the minute inches that separated him from Irele’s arm.
That ultimately saved them from a bone-crushing demise, along with a few bumps of frozen outcropping delaying their fall, they may not know it but they’re a few feet away from the ground. With her free hand, Irele fished out her torch to flash on whatever’s below her feet. Without telling Cal at all, she pried Cal’s hand open so she can free herself and free herself she did, while warranting an abrupt “Hey!” from her apparent savior; she fell for a few feet but safely landed in a cat-like manner.
“D’aw come on!” Cal groaned through his teeth. He peeked down and decided to follow. He wasn’t sure whether to trust the Force, his instincts, or the mere fact that Irele had touched the ground nearly unscathed. He contemplated for a second before unfolding his swelling fingers clasped on the frozen, brittle cable.
When Cal straightened his back, he found it odd to discover that Irele has her saber in its sheath. She has her back turned to him, and so he examined her secretly while she examined the cave they’re in.
“Well, I guess we have to find our way out of here,” Cal awkwardly breaks the silence, but he wasn’t rewarded with the answer that he expected.
“Look over there, several openings—they must lead up to a tunnel network,”
He wholeheartedly startled by how agreeable she was. Irele quickly spun to face him and he jumped at the sudden confrontation.
“Listen, I don’t know about you but I don’t plan on dying of hypothermia while hundreds—if not thousands—of feet below the surface. So for now, as much as I wanna preserve my pride which I don’t have the luxury of, we…” she choked at the very idea of the word. She clears her throat, “We’ll have a truce. And that expires once we’re back on the ground, then we’ll go back hating and trying to kill each other.”
Out of habit, Irele uttered the word “Understand?” in Huttese—her second native tongue—to which Cal was taken aback by. He just nervously nodded, pretending to have understood the last word. She didn’t wait for Cal to say anything more, she expected that he complies because realistically speaking, there’s no other option.
She shuddered at the thought of what Second Sister or any of the Inquisitors would say once they find out she went in connivance with a Jedi just to get out of a cave. Scandalous!
Like a whisper, BD-1 nudged Cal’s jaw and flashed a dynamic map of the cave’s subterranean level. Two yellow blips indicate himself and Irele, surrounded my raised mounds of blue holographic light signifying the dead ends, the rock and ice formations, and open paths.
“Listen, umm…” Cal tries to call her attention while she was busy contemplating which path to go through.
“Irele.”
“What?”
“My name is Irele. You hesitated because you didn’t know what to call me, is that it?”
“Y-Yeah, you’re right, uhh…” he redirected his attention to the map. “T-Take a look at this.”
She approached him with such an assertiveness just by the way she walked; he guesses that she’s lived a life of entitlement, privilege, and power. She was standing by the opposite side of the map, the blue light highlighting the brown tinge in her hair, the yellow blips dotting her eyes like stars against a moonless sky.
“BD-1 managed to take a perimeter scan of this part of the cave we’re standing and its closest proximity which is just about a mile and a half. Would’ve been two miles if we were closer to the surface for a better signal.”
“Oh, so we do have the luxury of going back if we took a wrong turn,” Irele chirped. Then she hovered her finger over one of the paths. “We can start here, this pocket right here looks promising; if not, then we either turn around or head straight.”
“Okay then, I’ll roll with that,”
“Ah-ah, you take the lead,”
Cal caught on quite quickly, “How would I know you wouldn’t stab me in the back?”
“Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing,” she inhaled, immediately regretting it as the cold air froze her throat. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you a proper Jedi’s death instead of leaving you out to freeze.”
“Should I be comforted by that?” His brows furrowed.
“It’s the best I can do, buddy,” she shrugged.
He sighed and did take the lead. When he got a considerable distance from Irele, he whispered to BD-1, “You got my back, right, little bud?”
“Woo!” BD-1 whistled quietly.
–
Normally, Stormtroopers take ten to fifteen minutes only to write a status report; but with Irele involved and having been into an accident, they exceeded the deadline; going over the same paragraph mentioning the young Sith in command, debating whether it’s presumptuous, exaggerated, or understated.
“Hey,” uttered the girl, the boy turned around to acknowledge. And she continued. “Why did you help me back up there?”
He could not answer. As a matter of fact, he can’t pinpoint the exact reason why. Irele watches him trip over his words as he makes up an answer, she continued to stare at his shifting eyes.
She internalizes, “Oh, so that’s the Jedi’s compassion in action. Cute.”
“Don’t hurt yourself thinking of a good answer… if there isn’t any to begin with.”
“You could’ve killed me the moment I landed down here,” he suggested.
Irele clicked her tongue against her teeth and rolled her eyes around the subterranean space they’re in, trying to avoid the topic in earnest.
She squinted her eyes at him and slightly nodded, “I don’t like fighting in the cold.”
Cal gulped. He studied her as she came up with a plan to escape the cave and return to the surface.
“What are you exactly?”
Her head swung to the side to look at him in disbelief, “Are you kidding me?”
“N-No! That’s not what I meant! I mean… I know you’re human, but… So far, you’re the—”
“The what?”
“The most… docile Sith I’ve encountered,” it would appear that Cal did his best to come up with an adjective for Irele. The last time he met a Sith, she clung onto the windshield of the Mantis and attempted to steal control of the wheel using the Force. “You could take that as a compliment.”
“Thanks? I guess,”
Back in the Mantis, Cere frantically shoots back and forth on the computer terminal, hoping for Cal’s comm signal to bite—but to no avail.
“Cal? Cal, do you copy!?” Cere shouted through the microphone. After a minute of static, she gave up and took his seat next to Greez. “Nothing!”
“Look, I know it looks bad, but he’s a big kid. He can handle himself!” consoled Greez, but clearly that wasn’t enough to stroke the older woman’s nerves.
“Something doesn’t feel right, Cap, I feel like he’s encountered something… like a paradox,”
Greez admits to not being the most knowledgeable when it comes to Jedi beliefs, but with his practical living, he shares his own inkling that whatever it may be—he’s sure that Cal can handle it.
Meanwhile, Trilla has caught wind that Irele had been entangled with a Jedi, fell into a chasm when a Jotaz pounded the ground until it crumbled, and are now in the deepest level of the caverns. The girl’s circumstance gave her a thought, but it’s a shot in a dark—a bold one at that. What ought to be most perfect situation to test Irele’s apparent immunity from Vader’s wrath is—given how it looks like right now—is a baseless claim, in Vader’s perspective, at least.
“That’s the only report you have of her?” Trilla feigned concern for a comrade and the Stormtroopers did not see through it.
“Yes, Second Sister. Unfortunately, the search party is having difficulty in navigating the unpredictable terrain. We have no record of the underground levels of this area, so there’s lots of unexpected twists and turns,”
“For all we know, she could be in the other side of the region,” the trooper’s seatmate interjected, half-jokingly. “Just a theory, though.”
They continued on their monitoring while Trilla was left out to her own thinking. She retreated to a spare room in the station where she could do some thinking, after spending what ought to be an hour of meditation, she was discouraged by the mere thought that Vader will defend the young girl and will only believe Irele’s side once asked.
Behind closed eyes, she remembered the way Irele glowered back and how her words now sounded like a warning rather than advice.
“Remember this, Trilla: the fantasy you think I have is no reality of mine.”
“No reality, my ass!” she growled and stormed out of the room.
Trilla ordered a small transport to bring her to the other excavation site, near the crashed Venator, she needn’t explain why; she only had a feeling that she will encounter one of them, but she prioritized getting the Jedi first.
The unlikely pair continued to find their way out of the caverns and back on ground level, heavily relying on BD-1’s map, they seem to traverse deeper into the complex cave system with rarely a clue if they’re any closer to their goal. For Cal, it almost reminded him of the Padawan trials back in the day.
“That turn looks promising,” he points ahead.
They come across an enclave with a narrow path that leads up; they follow that but were stopped short when they were facing a cliff-face of ice with no manageable handholds and a gap between them. Cal remembered that he had the grips from Dathomir, he jumped toward the wall with the clawed grips punched through the ice and proceeded to climb. At that moment, he was too focused on not falling that he forgot about Irele for a minute; when he was just a few punches away from the ledge, he felt a chilling breeze blow at him—causing his fists to quiver—and when he finally reached the top, Irele was sitting on the ground, legs crossed over each other, her chin resting on her palm as if she was bored, and smirked.
“You know, it’s dangerous to turn your back on me.”
“Are you gonna help me or what?”
Irele took a moment. She instantly remembers when she watched Cal examining a broken Zeffonian pot and got an inkling that he had psychometry. She has met—and killed—Jedi who share the same ability, or something similar. One incident in the past made her cautious of people like Cal.
“I think you can handle this yourself,” she scoots back to give him room. Having the urge to use his showy side, he sprung off of the handhold, spun in the air and over Irele’s head and landed after her.
“Such a big help.” Cal mumbled under his breath as he dusted off his sleeves.
At the end of their new path was another large mouth of the cave; Irele hesitated to follow, curious as to why Cal was so carefree in just stepping in. The girl followed her gut feeling—it was something ominous and it’s not good for her either—as she slowed her pace on purpose, doing so quietly that Cal couldn’t hear her or feel her behind him, the boy was beginning to pick up the same thing… but he was too late.
Cal finds the Second Sister at the other end of the cave.
Chapter 19 of Failure Is Not the End; “Echoes in Darkness”
(sequel to Poison Control)
Excerpt;
Cal relaxed and focused his breathing, the darkness giving way to slivers of light through his eyelids. He opened his eyes and looked down, noticing he was sitting and that Yoda sat in front of him. Except, Yoda’s form was transparent. Cal looked around but only found black with flecks of light, almost like stars. “Where are we?” Cal asked, trying to remain calm. They appeared to be floating.
“The world between worlds,” Yoda answered matter-of-factly. “A place between all time.”
Cal focused on the Jedi before him. “So if I’m not dead, then what is this?”
“A vision. Trapped in the claws of the inquisitor you are, Cal Kestis,” Yoda said gravely. “Escape, you will, but not so easy.”
word count ; 4012.
warnings ; small injury, smutty smut.
previous chapter | END.
cal was able to convince cere and greez to stay on kashyyyk for a couple of weeks, he wanted to catch up on lost time with you. the two of you were constantly at each other's side, cal even changing your bandages daily. it made you shy when you had to lift your shirt for him to change it, and cal's face would be red each time.
he's been dying to get a moment alone with you, but as soon as the time comes up, there's a new mission to be completed. this time, saw has you and cal separated. this is your first mission back since your wound reopened, now completely healed with no chance of reopening again. cal looks at you nervously, but you smile.
"i've been on plenty of missions without you, you know. i can take care of myself." you reassure him quietly, holding his hand. he smiles, nodding in agreement while raising the back of your hand to his lips. he kisses it, causing you to blush. saw clears his throat, gaining attention from the both of you. he finishes debriefing the partisans, then sends everyone to gear up.
you put on your helmet, grab your blaster, and an electro riot baton. cal raises an eyebrow, noticing it's the same kind that scout troopers use.
"where did you get that?" he asks playfully, already knowing the answer. you give him an innocent look, smiling like you've never done anything wrong in your entire life.
"i found it."
everyone is preparing to depart, but before you head off, cal pulls you aside. he looks worried.
"is everything alright?" you ask, resting a hand on his cheek. he leans into your touch, hands resting on your waist.
"what if i lose you again?" his voice trembles, unable to make eye contact with you. he's terrified of something happening to you again, only this time you would be gone for good. the anxiety he feels is crushing him, gently pulling you closer to him by your waist. you gently lift his chin to make him look at you, running your free hand through his hair.
"i promise to come back to you, cal. i'll come back, and i'll join your crew... and we can do everything together again." your voice is gentle, but reassuring. there's no hint of nervousness or uneasiness in your voice. you're determined to spend the rest of your life with him. this eases most of cal's anxiety, pulling you into his arms for a hug. you hug him back, loving the feeling of his arms around you. you two pull away slightly, faces inches away from each other. he wants to kiss you so badly, but he knows the mission comes first. you know the same.
the two of you begin to head off in separate directions, but before you're too far apart you call his name. he turns to look at you.
"i'm counting on you, star boy!" you yell, cupping your hands around your mouth to make sure he hears you. he chuckles.
"same goes to you, starlight!" the new nickname turns your cheeks red, waving as you depart.
you've been sent alone to handle a low level situation. a small number of stormtroopers have been spotted loitering in a clearing, and you were to execute them and reinforce any barriers. cal's purpose was much higher, he was to sweep the former imperial base and hack into the surveillance cameras so only the partisans had control of them. the two of you were far apart from each other.
you reach the location of the stormtrooper sighting, but see no one. you look confused, scanning the area. the further you walk into the clearing, the more uneasy you get. it's way too quiet.
"i'm surprised to see you alive, bodyguard."
you freeze for a moment, instantly recognizing the mechanical voice. you turn, the second sister standing several feet away. you pull out the electro riot baton, taking a stance. you always dreamed of revenge, but you never thought you'd get the chance.
"i'm full of surprises, as you can see."
"yes. i expected the jedi, though i don't mind finishing you off before him."
"i won't let you touch him." the baton sparks to life, earning a chuckle out of the inquisitor.
"foolish until the very end. i only wish i could see his face when i strike you down. the expression he made on bracca was most satisfying." her lightsaber flares to life, emitting a familiar red hue. you grip your baton tightly.
"leave him out of this." you spit darkly, surprising the second sister. she smirks under her mask, circling you.
"ah... i understand now." her voice drips with hostility. "you love him. you're willing to give your life for him. tell me, does he feel the same for you? are you his weakness?"
she strikes quickly, but you block her attack with the hilt of the baton. you push her backward, watching as she doesn't even stumble. she's quick on her feet.
"don't you know the jedi code forbids love? it's a weakness to them." she's taunting you, trying to get under your skin. there's a pang in your chest from hearing the information, but you don't let it show. she strikes again, you deflect her once more.
"so what? even if we can never be together, i will stay by his side to protect him. my love for him is selfless. it's something you wouldn't understand!" this time you charge at her, aiming for her legs with the baton. she's quick to react, stepping to the side and grazing your shoulder with her lightsaber. you grunt, feeling the sting. you don't let it affect you, you've felt much worse.
she laughs, something that makes you uneasy in the pit of your stomach. she continues to attack, while you deflect and block as much as you can. it's hard to land a hit on her, and you're slowly losing energy.
cal makes it to the surveillance room easily, making quick work of the wiring and signals that rerouted the footage to the empire. once he finishes up, he looks at the cameras to see various partisans winning in several places.
"bee woo!!" bd nearly screams, directing his attention to a specific screen. cal looks, his heart dropping. he sees you fighting with the second sister, fear rushing through him. you're not properly equipped to defeat her, he panics. he's terrified of what could happen.
"hang on, y/n! i'm on my way!" he announces to no one in particular, quickly running off in your direction.
your stamina is low, you're barely keeping up with the inquisitor. she's relentless, determined to defeat you. she's getting too cocky, creating an opening for you to exploit. you take advantage, quickly swinging the baton to make contact with her waist. the shock is enough to stun her long enough for you to whip out your blaster and aim for her. it grazes her forearm, a groan emitting from her. before she can retaliate, you're both distracted by an incoming imperial ship. the ship hovers above the ground, ramp coming down with the door open. it's another inquisitor you've never seen before.
"second sister! our presence is needed elsewhere!" they call to her.
"can't you see i'm busy?!" she growls, motioning towards you. the other inquisitor looks at you, then scoffs.
"they're not worth the energy! this is urgent!"
the second sister looks at you for a moment, then bows towards you.
"you will not be so lucky next time." she makes haste towards the ship, hopping on the ramp and entering through the door. the moment the door closes and the ramp retracts, you collapse on your knees, holding your shoulder. you're exhausted, feeling the dull throbbing of the small injury.
cal is almost to you, but the anxiety is overwhelming once an imperial ship is seen flying away. he runs as fast as he can, legs feeling like jelly. he reaches the clearing, seeing you on your knees and hunched over.
"no..." he panics, still running. "bd! go check on them!" as soon as the words leave his mouth, the droid darts off in your direction, reaching you quicker than cal. you notice the beeping, looking up to see bd-1 in front of you.
"hey, little guy." you smile while bd scans you. he sees your injury, popping a stim up from the top of his head. you take it, injecting it into your wound. you sigh with relief, instantly feeling the throbbing go away. "thank you."
bd trills happily while you stand. you turn to see cal, who's slowing down his pace to a jog. he's glad to see you're okay, his heart beating faster.
"hey-" you barely finish your greeting, cal grabbing you by the collar of your shirt and kissing you roughly. you're surprised, you didn't take cal as someone who'd pull you in like that. though caught off guard, you quickly wrap one arm around his waist, your other hand cradling the back of his neck as you press your lips against his.
the roughness of the kiss fades quickly, turning into something slow and passionate. lips lock together, moving perfectly in sync. his hand leaves your shirt, both hands now resting on your waist as he pulls you flush to him. you gasp into the kiss, cal quickly taking advantage of parted lips to slide his tongue in. you groan softly, now holding him closer as your tongues graze against each other. soft grunts leave him as you gently bite on his lower lip. you two stay interlocked until your lungs burn for air.
pulling away, he rests his forehead against yours. both of your lips are swollen and wet, chests heaving from the lack of oxygen. he places another kiss on your lips, gentle and innocent. you kiss him back, feeling your heart swell with love. you smile at him, and he smiles at you while looking into your eyes. he loves you, he can't imagine being without you ever again. he wants each and every part of you, regardless of what others have to say.
"i'm glad you're okay." his voice is soft, brushing his fingers across your cheek. he looks at you with such adoration, it makes your face flush.
"i'm glad you are too."
the night begins with a celebration, partisans happy to have a small amount of casualties and no deaths. your arm is wrapped up, slathered in bacta gel. blane said you would be fine in a couple days, as it was a small injury. you and cal watch from afar as partisans and wookiees dance and drink together, a bonfire roaring at the center of the party. you two hold hands, finally taking a moment to yourselves. bd-1 is entertaining the wookiees, cere is chatting with saw while greez cracks bad jokes with some partisans who find them hilarious.
"follow me, i want to show you something." you tug cal's hand lightly, leading him to a quiet part of the forest. it's teeming with wildlife, sounds of nature ringing throughout. you stop in front of some vines, holding your hands out to present it. "ta da!"
needless to say, cal is confused on why you've stopped in front of a wall.
"those are vines..?" he teases, tilting his head slightly. you nod excitedly.
"watch closely!"
you pull away the curtain of greenery, revealing a cave that had been redecorated to a hideout. there were several blankets on the ground for padding, a couple of very large pillows, and lights strung up around the walls. it looks very much slept in, a place you came to whenever you had a bad night-- which was nearly every night without cal.
"this is amazing..." he exclaims, walking in. you follow after him, the vines closing behind you. you take a seat onto the padded floor, motioning him to join you. he crouches down, sitting next to you.
"i found this within the first couple of weeks i got here. i didn't feel comfortable sharing a room with the other partisans at first, so i slept here for a long time. once i was more familiar with them, i only slept here when i had nightmares, or when i really missed you.." you trail off, eyes looking at your poncho from bracca. there's a hole burnt where your abdomen would be. cal follows your gaze, guilt rushing over him.
"...i should have just grabbed you and ran. i felt like i abandoned you when the mantis flew away. i beat myself up for months, i still do--"
"cal."
he looks at you, your voice calm and unwavering.
"what happened was not your fault. i don't hold any anger or resentment towards you for that day. my only regret is not following you immediately." your voice is so sincere, it catches cal off guard. his hands tremble, pulling you onto his lap. you straddle him, one leg on each side. you wrap your arms around his neck while his hands rest on your waist.
"i love you, y/n. i think i always have, i just wish i had told you sooner." his voice is gentle, gazing at you lovingly. you smile, leaning down to close the space between the two of you.
"i love you too, cal kestis. i always will." you finish by pressing your lips against his, cal immediately returning the kiss. it's gentle, loving. your heart feels like it could burst any moment, your fingers finding your way into his hair. he groans quietly, pulling you further into his lap by your waist. this creates friction against your groin, causing you to moan softly.
once he hears you moan, cal pulls away to look you in the eyes. there's a new fire in them, something primal. your cheeks burn red seeing him like this, not that you haven't imagined it before. he looks down to your lips, then back up at you as if asking for permission. you respond by kissing him again, rougher this time.
it's just what he wants, groaning against your lips as he carefully flips you over onto your back. he hovers above you, not breaking the kiss. you can already feel the tension rising in you, soft moans leaving your lips as one of cal's hands trail under your shirt. there's something eating at you though, something the second sister brought up during your altercation. you pull away from him, looking away shyly.
"what is it, starlight?" he asks, fingers under your chin to pull your face towards his.
"is it... really against jedi code to love someone?" you ask, sounding dejected. if that was the case, you and cal would never be able to be together-- not how you two wanted to be. cal sighs, forehead resting against yours.
"...yes."
your heart sinks, eyes cast downward.
"but... i think some rules are meant to be broken." he captures your attention again, making eye contact. you've never felt so special, so important. he was willing to risk it all for you-- you smile gently.
"i love you." you tell him again, brushing a strand of hair away from his face. he chuckles, leaning down again.
"let me show you how much you mean to me." his voice almost in a whisper, capturing your lips with his own again. you pull him close, craving his touch. his hand makes its way under your shirt again, fingers grazing against your scar. he pulls away, positioning himself so his face was level with your stomach. he lifts your shirt up enough to expose your scar.
before you can comment on it, he kisses it gently. your entire face feels hot, turning red from his gesture. he kisses further up your body, you help out by removing your shirt. it's cal's turn to blush at your exposed chest, drinking in the sight of you.
"have i ever mentioned how beautiful you are?" he breathes out, hands on your waist as he kisses on and around your chest.
"once or twice." you tease, gasping softly at the feeling of his lips against your skin. your hands find the hem of his own shirt, tugging on the fabric. "it's not fair if i'm the only one topless, you know."
he chuckles, raising his arms so you can discard his top. "i guess you're right."
you adore the man before you, body littered in healed scars. your fingers trail down his chest, causing him to shiver. "you're gorgeous, cal." you compliment, pulling him down toward you so you can feel his skin against your own.
you two kiss again, taking it slow as you begin to feel each other up. this is new territory for the both of you, wanting to take time to learn each other's bodies and find out what feels good and what doesn't. cal begins to unbutton your pants, making just enough room to slide his hand down and into your underwear. you blush fiercely, unable to contain the moan that escapes your lips. he breaks the kiss, watching your reactions.
"is this okay..?" he asks before going any further. you nod, giving him the green light. his eyes don't leave yours, you gaze into them as a finger dips between your folds. you gasp loudly, hips bucking unintentionally. he chuckles, sensing your excitement. he can feel how wet you are already.
"is this really how i make you feel?" he questions with amazement, repositioning himself further down as he completely removes your pants and underwear. he spreads your legs slowly, gasping at the sight of you. you're suddenly shy, looking away from him.
"y-yeah..." you barely manage to reply, a guttural moan escaping as cal uses his tongue on you. your hands find their way into his hair, gripping it as you try to keep from bucking into his face. he loves your reaction, his lips closing around your clit as he begins to suck on the bundle of nerves. pleasure quickly washes over you as you moan out his name, praising him.
"fuck, cal... that feels amazing..!" you moan, encouraging him further. his confidence grows, inserting a finger inside of you again. you tug on his hair, making him moan against you. the sound of his moan only turns you on further, face flushed. he takes his time, using his tongue skillfully while he pumps his finger inside you. you can feel yourself on the edge of orgasm, gripping his hair tighter.
"c-cal...!" you barely manage, unmistakeable sounds of pleasure escaping. he stops, looking up at you with jade eyes. his lips are wet with your slick, seeing him like that makes you attracted to him more than you already were. he licks his lips, then his finger.
"you taste good." his voice is husky, low with seduction. he discards his own pants and underwear, leaving you both naked. you both take a moment to look at each other, vulnerable and in love. a thin layer of sweat coats the both of you, hair tousled from previous activities. he smiles at you, kissing your forehead.
"...are you comfortable with this? is this what you want?" he asks, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear. you cup his cheek, smiling at him.
"yes. you're what i want, and i want you forever, if you'll have me." your touch along his jawline is gentle, bringing him in for a quick kiss. he smiles, nuzzling your face for a moment.
"you're all i've ever wanted, and more."
he adjusts himself between your legs, the tip of his shaft pressed against your entrance. he looks up at you, you nod in response to his silent question. he slowly pushes himself inside of you, both of you groaning loudly. your walls are tight around his dick, and he fills you up satisfyingly. you both don't move for a few minutes, adjusting to the feeling. you quietly ask him to move, and he pulls out slightly, only to thrust back into you. his moan is loud, primal. you can see something in him take over as he firmly grabs your hips and picks up the pace.
"ah, feels good... so good...!" you manage to say between moans, moving your hips in time with his. you've imagined what this moment with him might be like, but it's better than anything you could have ever dreamed of. the feeling of him thrusting in and out of you is erotic, feeling a pleasurable burn as he stretches you out.
"fuck... you feel amazing..." he groans under his breath, resting his head against your shoulder as his nails dig into your waist. the sound of him fucking you echos throughout the cave, only fueling his fire. he's wanted you like this for so long, and the fact that it's actually happening is something he's not completely over. feeling your hips slam against him as he thrusts into is more than he can take.
"look at me." he commands, moving his head to where he can look at you directly. you obey, locking eyes with him as he fucks you. the faces you're making are gorgeous, and the way he's looking at you is more than you can handle.
"i... i-i love you..!" you exclaim as he thrusts into you faster and deeper, feeling your orgasm build up once more. he smirks, taking your chin with his fingertips while brushing over your lips with his thumb.
"i love you, too." his lips crash onto yours as his pace becomes erratic. he's close to release, his vision becoming hazy from the pleasure. you two moan wantonly into each other's mouths, on the edge of release.
"i'm gonna cum... fuck..." he mumbles against your lips, hips stuttering. you drag your nails down his back, leaving trails of red down pale skin.
"me too... don't stop..." you whine, one arm around his shoulder while your other hand tangles itself in his hair. he obliges, pounding into you roughly. you call out his name loudly, your orgasm rushing through you in powerful waves. you swear your vision goes white from the sheer pleasure, your body trembling. cal isn't far behind you as he cums inside of you, his own orgasm causing him to groan out your name. you ride through your orgasms together, thrusts becoming lazy and slow. he kisses along your collarbone, then up your jawline and to your lips. your chest heaves, exhausted. he pulls out of you, both parties feeling extremely satisfied. cal looks at you with gentle eyes.
"i want you to be my partner, y/n. now and forever." he brushes his fingers against your cheek, you lean into his touch.
"are you proposing to me right now?" you tease, adoring the freckles that were littered across his face.
"not yet, but in the future i will." he chuckles, bringing your hand to his lips to kiss your knuckles.
"well, i'll say yes to being your partner... and to the future proposal." you giggle, cheeks turning red. cal laughs along with you, he hasn't felt so complete in such a long time. you were a piece he was missing for so long, as he was a piece of you. you two completed two halves of a whole, an unforgettable bond. you fall asleep in each other's arms, both of you finally getting a deep, restful sleep.
in the morning you say goodbye to the partisans. they're sad to see you go, but they know your place is with cal. cere and greez accept you quickly, especially since cal has become a whole new person to them. he smiles more, is playful, and dedicated to the mission ahead of him. when the mantis lands on zeffo, you walk out of the ship hand in hand. bd rests on cal's shoulder, ready for the exciting adventures ahead with his two companions.
"ready, starlight?" cal asks, smiling brightly. you return the smile, squeezing his hand in yours.
They could have met in a Room of a Thousand Fountains, that one spot Obi-Wan loved the most, under an enormous fern with bright-green foliage, surrounded by exotic flowers some of which were brought there by Qui-Gon. Cal’s braid would have been much longer, decorated with beads of many different colors or maybe it would have been plain, given how strict Master Tapal was. And Cal wouldn’t have been wearing the blood-stained poncho; the pale beige color of a Jedi tunic would have suited him much better, and he wouldn’t have looked twenty-five when he was only eighteen, there would have been no sunburns on his cheeks, just freckles scattered against his pale skin, evidence of a passionate kiss a Jedi only could have shared with one entity in the whole world — the sun. And Obi-Wan imagined how he would have stood up and picked a flower; how he would have tucked it behind Cal’s ear; how almost translucent purple petals would have contrasted against his bright red hair.
And Cal would have stopped right there, on the stone sidewalk, his eyes wide and sparkling with gentle surprise. He would have reached up and touched the flower with his fingertips, tentative smile on his lips, as he politely bowed his head, before being back on his way. Young, serene, his whole life ahead of him, as a promise of something better, something more. A whole bright world — universe filled with wonders and light.
aka I drew another illustration to my fic, ‘cuz who else, who else? It’s a part of chapter 7, u can read it here:
Summary: Cal and the Reader get into an argument over a mission gone wrong, soon the Reader realizes Cal’s right.
Warning: Angst, crying, swearing, mention of death.
Prompt: @witterprompts, these prompts belong to them!
“This would not have been a problem if you had just listened to me.”
“I can’t believe what I have to deal with and I didn’t even ask to be the leader.”
You were absolutely seething. You were on Kashyyyk, checking on a rebel outpost.
An encrypted message had been sent by Mari, explaining that they were under attack and needed your immediate help. Unfortunately, by the time you had gotten to the rebel camp it was as if it were completely wiped off the map. At this point, you were beginning to think that you were destined to fail at everything in life. Letting out a string of curses, you ran your hands through your hair and down your face. Trudging off to the Mantis Cal chased after you, desperately calling your name. He managed to catch up to you and pulled you by your arm so you were facing him. A concerned look fell upon his features.
“What, Cal? What do you want?” You spit at him, angry at your self that you let this happen. All the innocent partisans and Wookies would be alive if you ha-
“It’s not your fault, don’t blame yourself. There’s nothing we could’ve done back there. We got the message we came, we did everything we could. So do not blame yourself, the war isn’t over.” He sternly spoke, conviction and determination etched onto his features, green eyes burning holes into yours.
“Who are you kidding Kestis!? Cut the shit! This would not have been a problem if you had listened to me! I told you we should’ve picked up the pace. This is all my fault, if I would’ve been stronger, I would’ve gotten there faster and then maybe none of this would’ve happened!” You yell at him, snatching your arm out of him grasp. He pauses, staring at you hard as if thinking about what he should say next. His lips firmly pressed and eyebrows furrowed he shook his head and spoke again in a whisper.
“I can’t believe what I have to deal with and I didn’t even ask to be the leader.” As soon as the words left his mouth his eyes widened, BD-1 lowering his head behind Cal’s back.
“Excuse me? What the fuck do you mean by that? Do you think I asked to be where I am now, do you think I asked to be in an outpost littered with the bodies of my allies?” You spoke, venom dripping from your every word as you stalked towards him. Getting close and personal with the Jedi you looked straight into his eyes, daring him to utter another word.
“You know I didn’t mean it like that.” Averting his gaze to the ground he let his arms fall to his sides. You scoffed, not believing what was going on.
“Then how did you mean it, Cal?” Waiting for a piss poor excuse from him you tap your foot impatiently.
“Well?”
“You think this only affects you? You think those innocent people were only your allies? I fought alongside them too, and to lose them-” Cal’s voice cracked, tears welling in eyes. Grabbing you tightly by the shoulders he swallows hard and continues.
“And to lose them hurts me too, but they chose to fight! They knew the risks and they took them anyways because they’d rather die on the battlefield than be bystanders who watch as a regime actively fights for their suppression. That’s why it’s not your fault. Please. I don’t wanna do this anymore, I don’t wanna lose you too.” He hugs you tighter, pulling you in closer.
This is the first time you had seen Cal so worked up about, anything really, but the red-head had a point. They chose to fight and you would go on to continue to fight for them. To honor them, it wasn’t anyone’s fault other than the Empire’s that this happened. Fighting would only make you two lose each other, and neither of you could afford that. So you and Cal just stood there, holding onto each other for dear life.
I"m working on a "long" fic - longer than this dark and lonely place yeah, but idk how long or what is truly considered a "long" fic - and I'm gonna have fun with it. I just know it
Here's the beginning! Because why not!
In a flash of green, Merrin remakes herself on the Mantis’s boarding ramp just as the Imperial base behind her explodes and collapses in a suitably dramatic fashion. She waits patiently, only a hint of apprehension, for Cal to come bounding out of the smoke – and when he does, shoves aside the twinge of relief. This is Cal. He always gets out of scrapes. There’s blood on his hairline and a spectacular bruise on his face, but both his eyes and his smile are bright, his precious find bundled carefully in his arms. BD-1 jabbers away about something she catches a fourth of and Cal responds too quietly for her to hear, but it makes the little droid screech an insult that’s clear even without translation. Cal gasps, mock offended, while Merrin laughs openly, earning herself a half-hearted glare.
“I win,” Merrin declares.
Cal scowls, it’s not very effective. “You have an unfair advantage.”
“You said nothing of using our powers. It is not my fault yours lend you to losing.”
“We do not have time for this! Get in! Get in!” Greez shouts barely loud enough. Merrin grabs Cal by the poncho as soon as he’s in arm’s reach and forcibly pulls him onto the ship just when blaster fire whines, pockmarking the ramp where he once stood. He complains about the rough handling, but before Merrin can snipe back, Greez interrupts with, “Don’t even think about it. I can’t concentrate with you two bickering. Longbean, get your ass up here!”
Cal immediately drops his bag on the potolli-weave couch and makes his way to the cockpit in record time, taking the co-pilot seat with expert ease. They take off and enter atmo a lot smoother than Greez’s hurried tone led her to believe they would. Only one lonesome ship gives chase before losing them. She lets out a breath, sinking back against the wall.
Once they’re cruising safely in hyperspace, Cere slides off her comm unit and turns to Cal expectantly. “You said you found something?”
He brightens. “Yes! I did!” And scrambles out of his seat to the lounge. The rest of them follow behind at a more sedate pace. He digs through his bag, dropping stolen tools to the side – he has a bad habit of swiping tools he doesn’t yet have from Imperial workbenches. Once he came back with an entire toolkit with doubles. – until he makes a sound of triumph and holds up his prize.
“A holocron,” Cere breathes out almost reverently. He passes it to her and then – pulls out a second one. Her eyes widen. “How many did you find?”
“Four. It looks like they were trying to force them open.” Cal hands Merrin one of them, sliding his fingers along a seam to open it. The edges of the holocron are chipped, as if someone had taken a tool to them. Force them indeed. Cere opens hers and stares wonderingly at the star chart. Merrin looks down at her own, frowning at what she sees.
“What is this?”
Cere is the one who leans over. “That’s Dai Bendu,” she says. Pauses. Then her voice is a little rougher when she adds, “It’s the language the Jedi Order is built on. Where we get the titles Jedi and padawan. Very few people know the language, even fewer speak it.”
Knew and spoke linger uncomfortably in the air. Merrin traces the words floating in front of her face. Many of the Nightbrothers still spoke Dathomiri after the massacre of her Sisters and a few tribes spoke something close to her language, so it was never truly lost even if she felt so alone without her Sisters to sing with. That so few people spoke Dai Bendu before the Jedi Order’s fall and now there is a chance no one speaks it at all makes her hearts hurt.
Cal trades Merrin’s holocron for a different one. This one has music notes in it. “Master Yaddle could,” he says softly.
“And Master Yoda,” Cere says. He nods absently, eyes on the swirling words in a lost language. Cere gives him a considering look. “Cal, can you read it?”
He sits down, absolutely enthralled by whatever account is written before him. His lips move silently at first, but at Cere’s question he clears his throat. “It’s a record from a Jedi Master during the High Republic. Master Ryne and her padawan Minfilia, about their travels and discoveries. They found, oh, they found a kyber deposit. Not a large one, but a decent enough sized one they felt the Order should know.” He reads for a moment and makes a face. “It doesn’t say if they ever made it back to Coruscant.”
“What was the planet called?”
“Plaenni.”
Cere sits back, thinking. “I’m unfamiliar with that planet. If it is in the records, it was never part of my sector as a Seeker. This star map puts it in the Unknown Region, but I don’t remember ever seeing it on any others.” BD whistles from the holotable, backing up Cere’s statement with the Mantis’ navigation charts also missing Plaenni.
“That is strange,” Merrin comments.
She shakes her head. “Something must have happened to them. If they made it Coruscant and just forgot to add it to their own records, the Temple’s archives would have it instead. Unfortunately, lost Jedi aren’t uncommon.”
