Starting Now I'm Starting Over || Cal & Hera
Starter for @rebelresolve
Somehow, Cal had never ended up in Lothal. Not before nor after the fall of the Galactic Republic. In all his travels, and despite all his fights against the Empire across the outer rim, he's managed to completely miss the planet. He was aware of its existence, of course, the same way he was aware of every other planet that struggled with the Empire. But neither fate nor the force had ever led him here, until now.
After so many years, and with Merrin and Greez's encouragement playing a huge part in the making of his final decision, Cal had finally opened himself to reaching into the force in search of others like him. It had been years since the vision that showed him failing to protect those that would have been his apprentices, had he not destroyed the Holocron, and he was ready to start over, to give himself a chance at being of use to someone else out there. After all, force users had to support each other in these hard times. Survivors had to adapt.
Turbulence shook the Stringer Mantis as they entered the planet's atmosphere, but it was a relatively easy landing. A child's play compared to the times he'd had to land a very damaged Mantis in uncharted territory after almost being blown off the sky.
BD-1 was excited and exited the ship as soon as Cal opened the hatch. He didn't go far, just far enough to scan the grass and some bushes they'd landed close to. Cal had gotten him excited by mentioning the rich fauna and flora that inhabited the planet, and BD-1 had every intention of scanning every plant and every animal, no matter how big or how small, that they came across.
But exploring would have to wait. Cal was here to find another force sensitive whose signature he'd picked up over a week ago now while in deep meditation. It'd taken him some time to locate exactly what system and, more specifically, what planet the signature came from– which he blamed on the fact that he was rusty when it came to sensing others through such large distances. But now, there was no doubt in his mind that the force user was in Lothal.
The way the feeling intensified as soon as his boots touched the ground only confirmed this.
From what he gathered from asking around, there had been force users actively defending Lothal. He'd also been given a description of someone who could help him find who he was looking for, and a name: General Hera Syndulla.
People were easier to find nowadays than they were when the Inquisitors were at their peak. Not having to struggle as much made Cal anxious, even a little paranoid. It made him feel as if something bad had to happen for him to 'earn' his success, something that would catch him off guard if he didn't stay alert. But he also kept reminding himself that that wasn't the case. Sometimes, he could just get directions and find people without having to jump through hoops or fight a monster for it.
There was no missing a green Twi'lek on a planet mostly inhabited by humans.
"Hera Syndulla?" he asked anyway, not wanting to assume this was The Twi'lek when she might as well be Some Twi'lek, even if she matched the description he'd been given perfectly. "I was told you could help me."
