#jedi in hiding? give them a poncho!

[fen-luciel]

The mistakes of a Acolyte

5

Chapters

Summary: You are pregnant with Qimir's child and the universe is not big enough to hide you from him.

The excuse I used for carrying such a large bag was simple: I was a spoiled pregnant woman.

I regretted throwing away all those creams and gifts I had accumulated over the months, but I had used the containers to hide credits and various drives with not-so-legal collections I had gathered over the years. I only took the larger or more comfortable clothes with me, and the lightsaber well hidden at the bottom behind a pile of underwear. I doubted they would dig into the bag, but I couldn’t be too trusting; after all, they were still Jedi. And I was still an ex-criminal in their eyes.

I kept the poncho on to better hide myself underneath, as we were going to a cold, often rainy forest. The excuse of not wanting to reveal the pregnancy to Qimir was also valid; no one would question that.

I wasn’t even surprised that we left that very evening, but not seeing other Jedi made me suspicious. So after having a quick meal together, I casually started a conversation.

“Will others join us directly there? I mean Jedi” the three exchanged glances before Sol cleared his throat.

“We intend to go alone. We believe, based on the information you’ve given us, that it’s best to move in a small, quiet group. We know what we’re facing this time, and we have the element of surprise on our side” I was a bit annoyed by this, mainly because it meant I would have less time to slow them down, but I partly expected it.

“Don’t worry, we’ll always be close to you” Yord nodded decisively, with Jecki beside him smiling at me.

“I trust you” I said, shrugging.

The rest of the dinner passed mostly in silence. They were all tense despite pretending otherwise; occasionally, someone would try to start a conversation, but it would end quickly. There wasn’t much to say, and who could blame them?

Last time, they almost died.

And now they had me to deal with.

The journey wouldn’t last much longer, but I preferred to rest a bit before arriving at our destination. I lay down in one of the bunks in the bedroom, using my bag as an extra pillow out of paranoia to keep it close. I couldn’t rest all day; Qimir’s face kept flashing before my eyes. I thought about everything that could go wrong or how he might trap me. Yes, from his point of view, I was helping him, but it was obvious he didn’t trust me after what I had done.

I had taken extra precautions myself. I managed to contact my droid Sam as soon as it was reactivated through a private channel we kept for emergencies. I ordered it to assist Qimir but remain ready for anything. I didn’t trust telling it everything in case Qimir got his hands on it, but it had always been a loyal little companion. I knew it was on my side no matter what.

I don’t know how long I slept exactly, a hand on my shoulder woke me from slumber.

My first instinct was to reach for the lightsaber under the pillow in a habitual movement, but a moment of clarity was enough to remind me where I was and why.

Yord gave me a half-smile seeing me confused, and I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as he helped me sit up against the pillow. “What a knight” I joked as I stifled a yawn, and he grimaced, quickly looking over his shoulder. The door to the room was open, letting the cold corridor lights into the dark room.

“I wanted to give you this” he handed me a small communication device, and I looked at it confused in my hand. Then, with a raised eyebrow, I said “You already gave me one, don’t you remember?” He got up from the bed before placing his hands behind his back, then leaned against the furniture and again moved uncomfortably, not standing still for a second.

“Yes, but this... is private.” I raised an eyebrow, confused, while moving the blankets from my legs and sitting on the mattress. “What...?”

He cleared his throat. “When this is all over, we’ll take you home. And we’ll leave. And... you’ll be alone, if I understood correctly, at least. Forgive me if I assumed wrong—” a sad smile pulled at my lips “No, you’re right. I don’t have family. Friends... at least trusted ones. A life of crime hardly surrounds you with decent people” I joked at the end while standing up. Yord offered me a hand, but I ignored it.

The conversation was making me more uncomfortable than I wanted to admit. I turned my back on him while quickly slipping the communicator into my bag.

I would have to check later that it didn’t have a tracking device.

“Yes, well... if you need someone to talk to... I’m here. And maybe when I’m free, I can come to visit you” I shot him a confused glance over my shoulder before turning to face him.

Only then did I realize how close we were.

The ship wasn’t made for long journeys, and the bedroom was small and rectangular, the bare minimum for resting between destinations, but nothing more. And with Yord in front of the door, we were practically a few centimeters apart from each other. I could see a slight blush on his cheeks as he struggled to look me in the eyes.

It made me feel a bit tender.

“And what do the Jedi think of something like this?” I whispered with a poorly concealed smile. Yord blushed even more and took a deep breath. “The code doesn’t forbid friendships outside the order, and... maybe... I mean... if you want to chat with someone, I’m here” the difficulty with which he tried to finish the sentence was hilarious, but I avoided pointing it out. After all, he was... cute.

I rarely dealt with someone like that, even before my solitary path. My years as a student were very quiet, if not tense. Sure, the results were excellent by the end of my journey, but I regretted how I indirectly isolated myself, and considering what I did with all those years in the end... I wondered if there was anything in life that satisfied me.

That didn’t disappoint me.

Maybe I was the problem.

Maybe running from Qimir was just another whim.

“True. It’s very kind of you. I promise you won’t get rid of me easily” the lie came out naturally, but the pain in my heart was a surprise even to me.

Maybe I was sending him to his death.

Or at least I was deceiving him, the excuse of protecting my child wasn’t enough. I could have acted differently, but I was selfish and wanted to protect myself above all... and also leave an escape route for Qimir. In a few hours, we would part ways and never see each other again, and he would probably hate me... or something like that. He would realize that I took advantage of him, that I deceived him.

It was better to lie until the end. I didn’t want to be there when he realized the lies when he looked at me disappointed.

Maybe sad.

I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek that left him speechless, but with my bag, I passed him by, leaving the room without saying another word. I could feel his gaze burning into my back, but I ignored it.

It was easier that way.

Crossing the small corridor to the central hall, I caught a glimpse of Sol and Jecki at the command posts and approached them lightly. They turned to nod at me, but I remained silent, looking outside, beyond the glass where we could finally see our destination.

We had arrived in the space around the planet Teben. It was a place abandoned by civilization; centuries ago, there was life, not particularly developed considering the kind of ruins Qimir and I found the first time we came here, but there was everything needed to stay hidden in an environment not particularly dangerous, at least not for two like us.

It was a small green planet, forests and swamps covered most of its surface, the climate mostly cold, reaching particularly low temperatures at night.

We had chosen this location more out of my whim; I hated the heat and became particularly irritable as soon as I started sweating, one of the first things Qimir knew about me.

He didn’t really care where we camped, as long as it wasn’t an arid place. I remember well the early days here, we came in search of a temple... which turned out to be quite bare, but the place was great for making a quiet base.

It was also one of the first times we shared a bed, since we didn’t trust being too far apart in an unknown hostile environment, and resources were poor, so it was better to share more layers of blankets than to divide them.

I remembered we were fine, there was no discomfort, master and acolyte, no limits were crossed, we were... friends.

The problem is, I didn’t move during the night, he did.

So when the next morning, I found his arm around my waist, I skipped a beat, I wasn’t supposed to think about it, but... it made me feel good.

I pretended to sleep, and when he woke up, he realized the situation he had put himself in, I felt him prop himself up on an elbow behind me, his arm sliding away not before gently stroking my hip with his thumb.

After that morning, I couldn’t get that memory out of my head. If I concentrated enough, I could still feel that warm caress on my skin.

Maybe that’s how it all started, or maybe it was just the first physical proof of a feeling that had already begun and that I hadn’t seen. That I didn’t want to admit.

We descended into the planet’s atmosphere. I had mapped a safe route away from the main temple. We hadn’t equipped much nearby, the forests were so dense it was impossible to land except in specific, distant locations. Only by exploring the temple could you find a hidden passage leading to a large enough cliff for small or medium ships. Qimir guessed it was created later since it didn’t match the rest.

The nearest landing zones, external or internal, were almost the same distance on foot. Sol asked earlier if we could land directly there, but it was likely full, and we risked blowing up. Sure, we risked Qimir escaping, but landing with a destroyed ship made no sense.

We landed silently where I indicated, opened the door, and descended the ship’s stairs after gearing up. I put my hands in my pockets to trigger the alarm signal to my droid. Qimir was probably watching us, but it was better not to risk it.

Sol, Yord, and Jecki reviewed the plan while I nervously adjusted my poncho, hoping it hid my form. I put on my backpack and adjusted the fabric. Sol gave me a reassuring look before approaching me.

“Relax. I promised he wouldn’t even touch you, and I intend to keep it” I replied with a nervous sigh “I just hope... well, Qimir doesn’t know I’m pregnant. I don’t want to give him another reason to be angry”

He nodded understandingly. “Let’s go.”

I chose a well-worn landing zone, an old path led to the temple. Although roots had cracked the stone and symbols faded, it was better than traversing the dense forest full of insect nests and dangerous animals. I wasn’t sure of my combat skills five months pregnant, and I hadn’t touched a lightsaber since fleeing.

The air was cool, the sky turned purple as the sun set, casting large shadows. We were mostly silent and focused. We planned to trap Qimir in the temple. I would close the doors overlooking the cliff while they blocked the main entrance, confident they could corner him now that they knew his capabilities.

The key was surprising him and luring him away from the automatic doors I would shut. I had instructed Sam to equip my escape ship and make a map copy. The plan was to snatch it from Qimir and ensure he couldn’t track me. Luckily, he wasn’t into droids or gadgets, I usually handled locks and technology while he preferred organic methods like poisons. We had been a perfect team.

Had been.

Several doors blocked the path to the ships, so faking malfunctions or unfamiliar droids causing problems would be easy. As time passed, the Jedi seemed more relaxed around me, possibly not considering me a suspect once I escaped.

What made me nervous was not knowing Qimir’s intentions. He supported my plan, but I no longer had his trust. I saw the repressed anger in his eyes that night, and I still bore the marks on my arms. He was a ticking bomb, but I didn’t know if he’d unleash it on me or the Jedi.

During the confrontation, hiding my pregnancy was less important than staying safe. His reaction could be anger or joy, or worse, he might abandon our ruse and just drag me away. I couldn’t let him get too close.

It was nearly dark when we reached the temple. We hid behind large trees to see if Qimir was nearby. His presence was obvious, he wasn’t hiding. It felt like standing before a sleeping beast’s lair. The dark side rested but swirled around us, unsettling the three of them. But I was unfazed, feeling at home with its presence.

After nightfall, Sol gave a final warning before we moved toward the temple entrance. The large door was half-open. We hadn’t repaired it, focusing instead on the chamber doors.

Inside, most lights were off to avoid attracting small creatures.

Yord gently touched my side, silently asking a question. Unfortunately, we had to pass by the second-floor chambers to reach the passage at the temple’s end. Many areas had collapsed, and uncertain of the structure’s stability, we reinforced dangerous zones with beams, leaving only one safe path.

We’d pass the second-floor doors, including the bedroom, then descend to the first floor to close the first door. Yord would accompany me to ensure I reached safely and Qimir wouldn’t notice us. He might leap from the second floor, but it was too much risky, leaving him without supplies or a ship.

The plan wasn’t bad, given the few Jedi available. Too bad they didn’t know the surprise factor never existed.

I signaled Yord to climb the rusty stairs, with Sol and Jecki hiding in the main hall, ready to intervene if we were caught or if I triggered the doors and alarmed the Sith.

We walked silently, Yord a step behind, watching my back. The stone corridors were dimly lit by warm, faint lamps. I silently indicated the bedroom door to Yord, placing a finger on my lips. The dark side’s presence intensified, I knew Qimir was there, likely waiting for us.

Then I saw it.

At the corridor’s end, my small droid Sam patrolled, seemingly lost in thought. I froze, and Yord noticed the unexpected guest.

“This is new” I whispered to Yord, who prepared to move. I reached for my stun gun, ready to miss on purpose, but it wasn’t necessary.

Sam turned towards us, his usual blue eye turning red, and an alarm blared. Yord grabbed my poncho and pushed me down the corridor.

“Run!” he shouted, abandoning stealth.

I dashed past the bedroom door, firing stun shots at Sam, pretending to miss in panic. Sam dodged easily, disappearing around the corner. I heard Yord’s footsteps behind me, the alarm echoing, then an explosion.

Just as Yord passed the bedroom door, it burst open, and Qimir attacked, wearing a helmet. Yord barely drew his lightsaber before being slammed into the stone wall and parrying a powerful red lightsaber.

The plan was in motion.

[wrencatte]

mini-fic 5!! (ish) Post-Survivor. Rambler Crew + Mantis Crew + Cal's ponchos. Omniscient POV. 1k words Reminder! I post these on my Ao3 as well (a day or so later), including an alt version of mini fic 3 that's Ao3 exclusive!

“That is not a good look.”

Cal frowns and looks down at his new poncho, stretching it out from the bottom to put it on full display. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It clashes with your hair,” Merrin says.

“Everything clashes with my hair.

“Well, that is worse.”

“It smells,” Greez complains. “Where did you find that thing, the garbage?!”

Cal grins. “Actually – .”

“Please no.”

“I found it in an oggdo abode.”

“And you put it on?” Greez demands in horror, his voice higher and squeakier than Cal’s ever heard it get before.

Cal stares at him for a long, long moment before he lets out a sharp giggle, and then that giggle turns into a full-on cackle. He falls against the bar top for support. The present cantina patrons watch in amusement and fondness as their resident Jedi turns red faced at the force of his laughter. They don’t get to hear him laugh very often, and the smell of his ‘new’ poncho is nearly worth it.

Greez isn’t done: “Why the hell is there even an oggdo on this planet? I thought we left that sithspawn on Bogano!”

“Maybe it followed you just as the boglings did,” Merrin suggests, patting Cal on the back as he wheezes. “Perhaps you missed it on the ship, it seems quite miss-able.” That, for some reason, just makes Cal start back up again, covering his face as his ears turn bright red. It’s a borderline hysterical laugh, but everyone very carefully avoids making note of that.

Greez points at her. “You, be quiet. And you.” He marches up to Cal and starts tugging on his ‘new’ poncho, but all he succeeds in is yanking the Jedi around while he smacks at the latero’s hands. “Take it off! I can’t have you stinkin’ up my saloon!”

“Hey! Hey! C’mon, it’s not that bad!”

“No, it is.”

“It really is, Cal.”

“Sorry, Red, but that thing smells worse than nekko crap.”

Cal turns to his gathered friends with betrayed tooka eyes. It really only works on Zygg, who immediately looks away, hiding her face with a hand so she’s not swayed by them. Mosey covers her nose for emphasis even though she’s smelled way worse on her own adventuring. She’s even said so and Cal swears a bilemaw smells worse than the oggdo did. Cal covers his heart in mock betrayal before all the pointed looks and disgusted expressions makes him reluctantly give in and pull off the pink poncho. He drops it into Greez’s waiting hands. He knows when he’s been outnumbered despite what some people would think.

“Good,” Greez says, holding it as far away from himself as possible. Which isn’t very far, but Cal counts that as pay back for making him take it off in the first place. “I’ll just…run this a couple hundred times in the washer and give it back – .”

“Tomorrow?” Cal asks hopefully where he’s started to rummage around in the bag he’s been carrying around lately. Says it’s a better place to put all the seed pods and priorite he’s been finding around Koboh. Merrin joked once that it was the perfect size to fit a fully grown bogling and he really just wanted to show it the scenery. Cal hadn’t denied it.

“Never?” Merrin suggests then laughs airily as she dodges one of the aforementioned seed pods Cal throws at her good-naturedly. BD-1 beeps his protest at the seed pod being treated like that, earning an apology from a suitably chastised Cal. “I am just saying, you’ve outgrown the ponchos, Cal. This style you’ve cultivated over the years is much better.”

“But they’re comfortable,” Cal complains, still rummaging.

…The bag isn’t that deep.

Mosey eyes him suspiciously even as she says, “I’ve got a couple’a ponchos you can have, Red. They were my pa’s, but I doubt he’d mind if you took ‘em off my hands. They’re good for the mountain trails since it gets cold up there. And they’ve been stored up all nice and clean.”

Cal flashes her a smile. “Thanks, Mosey, but no thanks. I’m all stocked up.” Everyone watches in horror as he pulls out another poncho. It’s not nearly as garish as the pink one, but it’s still ratty and smelly and Cal pulls it over his head with a bright, beaming grin. “See? Problem solved.”

“Problem not solved!” Greez shrieks, flinging the pink one away. “You brat! Are you kidding me right now?!”

“I have four more!” Cal declares proudly.

“No,” Merrin whispers, aghast.

Cal nods, his smile getting smug now. “Yes. A crate of them just sitting there. It looked like someone tried to set up camp and the oggdo took offense to it. You can take one, but you can’t take them all!”

“Merrin,” Greez says, voice low and serious. Cal looks at him, eyebrow raised in a challenge. The latero puts one set of hands on his hips and points at Cal. “Get him.”

Green magick flares but Cal is already running out the main door, cackling loudly as Merrin gives chase. The rest of them are left behind to stare at Cal’s bag still sitting on the ground.

“Do you really think he has four more?” Moran asks, clutching his drink to his chest. He’s looking a little pale.

“We could throw out the whole thing?” Ashe suggests. “He can collect more seeds later.”

“Doma would kill us for the priorite.”

“Kark, she would.”

Before any of them can make another suggestion, a little body dashes through, scoops the bag up to her chest and pauses, giving them all a good moment to really take in the sight of Kata looking at them all wide-eyed and innocent… wearing a smaller and cleaner poncho in her favorite shade of purple. BD jumps onto her back with a happy beep, and she grins brightly at them before she then – runs away, giggling.

Greez blinks once, twice, and then swears loudly.

“I knew it! I knew they were working together! Those, those brats!”

[kingdomhate]

First Glance (Awaited Part Three)

It was a reckless moment, deciding to follow Anakin most certainly into the unknown, but this man, he was your friend, and had no one else willing to accompany him on this journey. How could you ignore that?

It was like being blind, going into straight darkness, you had every right to refuse, but you didn't, leading you back to only one answer: Anakin. This journey was guaranteeing you a chance to get away from the normal, have some type of purpose other than training and undergoing immense stress, all to save Anakin's mother.

"Y\N! Are you paying attention?" Snapped your master, Mace Windu. You startle slightly from the awakening from your savory thoughts. "Yes, Master." You nod affirmatively, eyes going to meet his. "Are you ready to spar?" As much as your mind longed to go back to Anakin, you understood that you had to equally balance your Jedi life with the thoughts threatening to seduce you into another rabbit hole. "Of course, Master."

Of course, Anakin was in no better condition, but he managed to hide it better. Whenever his mind raged with thoughts of you, especially with being so vulnerable with you and coming back to his homeworld with you, he silenced them with the outweighing thought of saving his poor mother. Leading him down a place of familiar guilt and sorrow. Nonetheless, it worked.

At dusk, when the sun was growing more and more tired, Anakin grew more eager and anticipating. Everyone in the Jedi Order, excluding him and you, was asleep, his mind and body roared with sudden freedom. Anakin quietly and skillfully crawled out of bed and to his door, peering oh so slightly, but trying to properly assure himself that the coast was clear, he made his way to your bedroom.

You were awake, waiting. Observing every detail around you, which only be contributed to your mood and feelings, of restlessness and clear anxiousness. All of your instruments and supplies were ready; lightsaber, radio, water, food and a few pieces of clothing. Your clothing choice was as rogue as you could make it; black leggings, the regular pair of black Jedi boots, and a blue poncho, covering your white tank top. "Psst." You jerked around to investigate the noise, only to see Anakin, in his maroon and black normal Jedi attire, lightsaber hidden at his hip.

"Hey!" You whisper-shouted at him. "Hey." He replied with a smile, his arms wrapping around you as soon as you were within arms reach. "I missed you." Anakin whispers into your ear. "So did I." You embrace him as well, not knowing how much you needed it until you felt the warmth of his skin against you. "Are you alright?" Anakin questions, his blue gaze practically begging for an honest answer. "Yes, of course." You reassure him, gazing into his eyes with both honesty and determination.

And so, with his arm wrapped firmly around you, Anakin lead you outside, to his ready speeder. "You had a plan, didn't you?" You joke lightly, to which Anakin lets out a small chuckle and nods, shrugging sheepishly. "Better prepared than not, huh?" You nod in agreement and hop in. Anakin turns on the speeder and that's the beginning of your journey. You turn to him. "Anakin, are you alright?"

Anakin's eyes flicker to you then back on the desolate airway transportation way, little to no other forms of transport in the way, giving you both the advantage of relaxation. "Yeah." He nods. You look outside your window for a second, admiring the beauty of Coruscant once more in the night. The remaining streaks of vibrant orange and violet, reminding the night watchers of the sky that it is the time of quiet, fading into a deep blue, like a lullaby. "You know, my mother.... she would let me go out and do whatever I wanted. It was like she knew I would be back, every time... How did she know?" Anakin breaks the silence, and your thoughts. It takes you a moment to reply.

"Ani, I think she knew you would always find your way back." Anakin nods at your words, licking his lips as if they were dry. "After all these years, I can't get her out of my head. I made a promise, you know?" You reach out to lightly press your hand on his. "I know. We're going to find your mother, Anakin. You will get to see her once again, I promise." Anakin's hand firmly grasps yours. "Okay."

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A\N: I'm back! Part four out tomorrow!

[yoitsjay]

The Witch, The Fool, The Duo

(Ch.1)

Pairings: Hunter X fem! Reader

Summary: You were a dathomir witch, suriving the nightsister purge along with Merrin, however you left instead of staying amongst the corpses of your family. Your journey brought you to Cids, and you decided to work for her as long as she kept your powers a secret. Years later, you meet someone you might not have to hide from.

Warnings: Canon violence, past trauma, eradication, flashback, blood /gore

Word count: 3,717

Blaster bolts and the sounds of ligd that she was struck down… your family, the only people you've ever known were being slaughtered in front of you… You looked around, noticing something shifting in the bushes, you slowly moved forward, only to see a young child. “Merrin?” You questioned, looking around before kneeling by her side. “Shh shh, it's okay i'll get us out of here” You whispered, picking the young girl up in your arms after sheathing your weapons. You called on your magic, the life that surrounded Dathomir, and purple mist surrounded you before you and merrin teleported out of that area, bouncing around from one point to the other before you found a small entrance to a cave you knew well, it was a place you would go to train, to hone your magic.

You helped Merrin through first, hearing the sounds of shouting and droids approaching you, so you quickly slid in the gap after Merrin. You rested your hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her before pushing her forward, deeper into the cave which connected to several tunnels under the Nightsister temple and the Brothers village, however you brought Merrin to what looked like a living space, with crates and a cot to sleep in, as well as some stashed rations. You helped Merrin onto the cot, brushing some hair from her face. “We stay here until they leave, I'll go out to hunt when we run out of rations… We will survive Mer, I promise…”

Your eyes shot open as you gripped the sheets underneath you, frantically looking around as you tried to gather your surroundings, nightmares still plagued you from that day, the day your entire clan was slaughtered by General Grievous and his droids. when you realized where you were, you relaxed, releasing the fabric that was balled up in your hands before you sat up.

A soft sigh left your lips as you rubbed your face, standing up shortly after to head to the fresher where you splashed water on your face once reaching the sink. You stared up at your reflection through the mirror, visible eyebags rested under your eyes, though with a quick dose of magic to give you a boost, those bags were gone and instead replaced with a light purple shimmer that eventually disappeared too. You had this routine where every morning you would take whatever makeup you had, and you'd cover the Dathomiri markings that covered your face, you wish you didn't have to cover them as you thought they were beautiful, but the time of the witches was over, and your magic alone could cost you your life, and give a bounty hunter some decent credits, almost matching the price of a Jedi’s lightsaber.

You heard some chatter outside of your room so you quickly finished your bathroom routine before getting dressed, strapping on your armor and then securing your blaster holster to your thigh, sliding the blaster into the holster after that, you then grabbed your twin scimitars and you clipped them to their designated place on your back, grabbing your black and red poncho, finalizing your look.

You walked out of your room, the immediate smell of alcohol filling your nose. When you stepped out into the main room of Cid’s parlor, you noticed the two regulars already playing Dejarik, and Cid was cleaning glasses at the bar. You walked over to her with a light smile, and she gave you a look of sympathy in return. “Still having those nightmares huh?” She asked, and you gave her a sheepish look, your gasps and sometimes your screams were enough to wake Cid most times, though you made up for it by helping clean or make drinks at the bar. “They’re getting worse… I think… i think it's time to confront where they came from” You answered, taking a seat at the bar.

Cid let out a hum, glancing at the door before looking back at you. “Well as much as i'd love to help, you don't have a ship or the credits to get one, so you're kind of stuck here until you can get 'em.” She said, and you nodded, leaning back in the stool you were seated on. “I know… maybe I can hire a shuttle or something… I'll think of something Cid, I always do.” You started, standing up to walk behind the bar, pouring yourself a glass of water, only a small one because you had some jobs to do this afternoon.

Cid always sent you out around this time, you never knew why but at the same time you never questioned it, however this was a day where you really didn’t feel like rushing… and maybe it was the best decision you've ever made… A group of soldiers suddenly walked into the Parlor, and you caught one of their eyes, however Cid noticed that your hand went to your blaster, and she quickly placed her hand on your arm. “No, they're good… this is why I don't have you around clients.” She hissed, and you huffed before relaxing your arm by your side, helping to clean some glasses as you glanced back up at the soldiers.

Cid was right though, the first time she had a group of clients here and you walked in on their meeting, they had raised their guns and that sent you into fight mode, and you had basically slaughtered all of them… at least sid got to keep the coin and the item that the clients were after, but after that you were banned from the parlor when Cid had appointments… until now obviously when you picked up your act. However these soldiers made you curious, you'd never seen them before, but all the same you felt… drawn to them…

‘They must have a ship’ a voice whispered in your mind, and you gripped the counter in front of you… these people could be your ticket off this dump of a planet, and back to Dathomir where you needed to face your nightmares… before thhtsabers hitting against each other, the screams of your sisters as they were shot or got cut down by the battle droids and grievous, your mother was skilled and you trusted her, ventress not so much but she was your sister regardless of the weapons she held. You were up in the trees, shooting down drones with your energy bow, however you didn't have the senses of a jedi or sith, a battle droid had snuck behind your position and shot you down from the tree. You grunted as you hit the ground, however you quickly readied yourself, switching your bow for your dual scimitars instead, their beautiful steel reflecting under the moon's light, and the green magic leading to mother Talsin. You cut down the Droid quickly, hearing more screams of your sisters falling in battle.

Your grip tightened on your weapons, and you heard Mother Talsin’s voice in your mind. “My child, be not afraid, You will survive, trust yo- '' Her voice cut off and the connection ended in your mind, and you quickly realizeey killed you.

You walked over to the door of Cid’s office, tuning your ears to hear what they were saying, you got some pieces of information, but when you heard footsteps coming closer to the door you quickly used your magic and teleported back to the bar, luckily without the regulars noticing as they were too busy with their game, and nobody else was in the bar. You cursed under your breath, you needed to be more careful..

You went to scrub glasses just as Cid and the soldiers exited the office, and Cid caught your attention by calling your name. “Hey, this is the Bad batch, they’ve been somewhat good mercs for me, and i put in a good word for you so, they’re willing to take you to where you need to go…if you aid them on a mission.” Cid explained, and you sucked your bottom lip between your teeth as you thought for a moment before nodding, walking out from behind the bar as you approached who seemed to be the leader, with the way he stood in front of his group.

You could tell they were untrusting of you, which you totally understood, however you extended your hand to the leader, and you introduced yourself. The man took your hand, firmly shaking it as he began introducing himself and his squad. “I'm Hunter, this is Wrecker, Tech, Echo and Omega.” He listed, and pointed to each of his men before pointing to Omega, who was just a young kid. Your eyes went wide, and you looked at Cid. “You contracted a child?” You asked, and Cid sighed “She volunteered.” Cid answered, you sighed but nodded, your gaze turning to Phee who was leaning against the wall, you knew phee, she was one of the people who stopped by occasionally that you actually got along with, and knowing she was leading this mission you felt a bit better about having a kid around such danger.

“Right, well after this mission success i will tell you where i need to go.” You explained, and Hunter seemed to be satisfied with that, gesturing for you to follow, and you did, walking behind the group.

This mission, though more meaningful for this group than you, was certainly echillerating. You had been tasked to grab one of Count Dooku’s war chests. When you had first heard that name, your memories from that dreaded day all resurfaced, hearing the name Dooku from mother Talsin’s lios before the massacre, and again from the lips of General grievous… it definitely had an effect on you, and Hunter seemed to pick up the way your heart started beating faster, your breaths quickening as well… He then noticed you turned your head to the side, as if someone was whispering in your ear. He saw your eyes shimmer purple before you closed them, and then your body relaxed.

After that briefing you went to stand by Omega, who offered you a smile before leaving to her room, you let your eyes flutter closed, tuning everything out of your mind except for the whispers that just never went away…

Soon you landed on the planet, walking off the ship last, looking around you noticed how dense the jungle seemed to be, and it fascinated you. You had never been to a jungle before, you could hear all kinds of life from the trees, birds… bugs, other animals… you could feel their life force… The whispers demanded you take it to feed your own life, but you ignored them and turned back to the group in front of you as they discussed where they would be headed next. Then they started walking away, however you and Omega waited just for a moment, you looked down at her, offering a smile before hearing Hunter speak up. “Are you coming?” he asked the both of you, and you nodded but stayed quiet, advancing forward… and Omega was not far behind you.

As you walked with the group, you rounded the hill which revealed a decimated city, burned and bombed to ashes, no life left behind to start again. A twinge of guilt swelled in your chest and you quickly looked away. The group then made its way to where the shipping crates were, and where dooku’s war chest would be, you pulled out your binoculars, studying the area as Tech explained that they were moving the war chest off world, and your window of opportunity was quickly closing.

You turned to Hunter just as he started speaking. “Get to the nearest container and grab what you can, Y/n and i will be the eyes on the ground, if things go sideways we can divert their forces.” He explained, and you nodded to him, raising your hood above your head before you and Hunter scaled down the hillside. Once Echo and the others were in position, you and Hunter were as well, scanning the area for threats in which you found many.

“we've got roaming patrols, stay alert.” Hunter spoke into the coms, ducking behind a tree, you copied his movements and hid behind a tree across from him, nodding to him as if to say you were ready for whatever he needed. “Let's see if cid's words about you are true.” He stated, signaling for you to run with him when the patrols passed and the defender ships lifted off. You nodded, and on his signal you ran with him, sliding to a stop beside him as you looked around, crouching and sneaking underneath a ship you were hiding against, Hunter quickly placed what seemed to be an explosive, and you grinned. This would be fun..

After the charge was set, you and Hunter found a good place to hide while the others did their thing, in the meantime, he turned to look at you. “So, where are you from exactly?” He asked, and you purse your lips, you didn't want to give away who you were, and you didn't know many planets… However your silence seemed to speak for itself, Hunter sighed, placing a hand on your shoulder, only to pull back when you flinched away. “Sorry, I didn't mean to pry.” He muttered, turning away from you.

He started to move again once the coast was clear, and you were quick to follow, very discreetly using your magic to blur the minds of the clones here to make it more easy for you and Hunter to sneak around. You and Hunter continued placing explosives, taking turns setting the charges. It was nice to admit that you and Hunter, despite not knowing each other, worked in fluidity together, and he seemed to appreciate it just as much. Just then, a couple troopers started getting closer, so Hunter quickly rolled away, catching their attention even more.

You stayed in your hiding spot, but luckily enough for you there was a rock resting right by your feet, you quickly grabbed it, and chucked it in the opposite direction, using your power to make it seem like it was coming opposite from you as well, taking your chance as you ran back to Hunter's side. After that you both made your way out of the area and into the forest, nodding to each other as you relaxed, no longer in immediate danger.

Just then, echo commed Hunter, explaining that they were about to have some company, you grinned, knowing it was time to set off those explosives. You and Hunter made your way behind a couple trees, observing the ships that you had just planted explosives on. Hunter nodded to you and with a click of the button the explosives went off, blowing the attack fighters to smithereens. You hoped that was a big enough distraction to get Echo and the others out of there. Hunter commed Echo saying you were in route and to be ready, and you could only imagine how much loot they got their hands on.

However, just as you and Hunter reached the area, you noticed that only Wrecker was there, and when he said they were still in the shipping container you winced, seeing that it was taking off. Hunter commed to tech, ordering him to get out, though you had a feeling that it would be a hard task to do, and your thoughts were proved right as Omega explained that they were trapped in the container. You noticed multiple clones getting closer, and so you turned to the two boys, grinning when Hunter stated that they were done hiding.

You grabbed your blaster from your thigh holster and started running with Wrecker and Hunter, firing stunning blasts instead of live rounds, per Hunter's request. They were all brothers, and Hunter didn't want them to get hurt. You could respect that so you followed orders. More clones started running towards you, so you and the other two decided to jump onto the transport ship, firing more shots at the clones below. However one clone managed to shoot close to Hunters hand, which almost knocked him off if it wasn't for your lightning fast reflexes, grabbing has hand tightly while hanging onto a bar with the other.

“We gotta go.” Hunter told you both, however Wrecker quickly spoke up before you could. “Go where?” he asked and you and hunter both turned your heads as the transport ship started flying over a dome shaped roof. “Jump!” Hunter exclaimed and you let go of his hand when he was ready before jumping down beside him, Wrecker not long behind. You slid down the dome roof, quickly pulling out one of your scimitars as you stuck it in the sd=ide to slow your fall before letting go and landing on a around but stable surface.

You tucked your weapon away, looking around for anything that could help. You looked back at the ship, watching as it flew away while Hunter came up with a plan- or Tech mostly- to get an escape shuttle and get off before they jumped to hyperspace. In the meantime, Yourself, Wrecker and Hunter made your way inside the building, watching each others backs, but the room that you were in was entirely empty.

However before you could say anything, another door to that room opened up and shots were fired, again you had your blaster on stun, shooting the clones that came into the room, stepping backwards behind the desk, feeling the floor shift under your feet when the wrecker stepped on it. You purse your lips, slamming your foot down, seeing it loosen a bit more.

Hunter seemed to read your mind when Wrecker had asked how they would get out of here, nodding to you when he said they were going down. “There's a lift below us” He stated, poking his head out from the desk only to crouch back down. “cover me” He requested, and you and Wrecker did just that, laying stun fire towards the seemingly endless supply of clones as Hunter figured out a way to bring the lift down.

“What is taking you so long?” Wrecker complained as even more troopers walked in, you grunted as a blaster bolt nearly hit your head, however you kept firing. “I'm trying, Tech usually does this” Hunter butted back, you looked down at the screen, pushing his hands away as you slammed your hand down on the screen, and just like that the platform started moving down, you laid more stun fire, but the screen was hit with a blaster bolt, and the platform stopped moving. “Dammit!” You muttered, “I got this” Wrecker stated, throwing a smoke grenade before he started jumping on the platform, which started moving down ever so slowly. “Wrecker n-” It was too late for that it seemed, and Hunter quickly wrapped an arm around your waist which surprised you, but that ended quickly as the platform underneath gave out, and you, Hunter and Wrecker started free falling.

You landed on Hunter, which softened your blow, however you quickly got up and helped hunter to his feet, seeing an exit to the outside. You dragged hunter and wrecker behind you, stepping outside just in time to see the cargo boxes freefalling just like you did. and in one of those boxes was Tech, Echo and… Omega.

You knew you had the power to stop it, and you knew if this mission failed you would never be able to confront your nightmares. so you ran forward, lowering your hood as you called on the life of the forest. Purole magic started to surround you as you balled it up i your hands before reaching out, several purple ropes extending out as you grabbed several boxes, You used ypur senses, reaching out to try and find Omegas life signature, and when you did you immediately dropped the other boxes, and just focused on holding the one omega was in.

You had both hands out and you were using all your power to keep the box floating, bringing it towards you before you safely placed it on the ground. Hunter and Wrecker just stared at you, eyes wide and jaws dropped underneath their helmets as you turned to them, all that purple magic retreating back into you. You then smiled, but then your eyes rolled to the back of your head and you started to fall.

Hunter was quick to catch you however, picking you up in his arms. “No time to stand around, Wrecker get them out of the crate and lets them get back to the Marauder!” He exclaimed, already carrying you down the path back to the ship. Wrecker got the others out, and together you all made it safely back to the Marauder, Tech manning the steering controls with Echo beside him, taking off this planet. In the meantime, Hunter had taken you to his cot, laying you down and making sure you were okay before walking back to his brothers, and omega.

Once in hyperspace, they all turned to hunters. “What was that? it felt like we just stopped midair and floated down?” Echo asked, and Hunter glanced at Wrecker, removing his helmet. “It was Y/n, she has this- this purple magic almost, it was like the jedi with their force but- visible! she seemed to sense your presence or something and saved you from falling- but… after that she fell unconscious, so she's in my bunk right now…” He trailed off, looking at his brothers, settling on Tech as he spoke up. “Where did she say she was from?” He asked, but Hunter shook his head. “She didn't, but see if you can find any information on that type of magic.” He ordered, and \tech nodded, burying his face in his holo pad.

Omega walked up to Hunter, smiling at him. “Whatever she is, she's powerful, and she saved our lives. Whatever secrets she’s hiding, we owe it to her to keep them a secret.” She stated, and Hunter knew she was right. A sigh left his lips, and he nodded before making his way back to his bunk, sitting down across from you as he just watched…

[justalittletomato]

Infiltration Schemes

(Aster is 20 in this one and a certain someone is 19) this is just for funsies, and trying to show off Aster’s scheming skills

Aster saw the flashing lights from the distance.

“What is that?”

“A nightclub…it’s definitely not allowed but the Imperials need some entertainment.” A quite mutter about, dancers.

“They got liquor?” She asks, her companion a Mandalorian gives her a confused look under his helmet.

“What kind of nightclub wouldn’t”

—-

Information was easy to come by for Aster, either at knife point or taken from loose lips when she asked sweetly.

It was not hard for her to sneak inside, among the Twilek dancers, pantorans and herself? She slipped in with ease. Garbed in little more than lace, she was just like the other ladies. Making heads turn and a few whistles as she walked by in pretty heels. She grabbed a tray from the bar and was motioned to go to a group of Imps.

Looking into the passing booths she saw other ladies very close to the patrons. Some bored. Some ensuring their flirtations would ensure a big tip…

Aster knew the role she had to play. “My oh my where did they hide you?” The Imperials looked her over with hungry gazes. Crimson red, dark curls and a chest that was just almost bursting out of her “uniform”

“Just started, “ she smiled, “ So what brings you all to this neck of the the galaxy.” She poured them shots with an expert hand.

“Come sit with us and we will let you know.”

She looked worriedly back to the bar, “ You promise I won’t get in trouble?”

“Oh you’ll be more in trouble if you ignore an officers orders…”

Aster mentally scoffed, and outwardly giggled. “Okay okay.”

She played her part well, getting the newest plans, the latest schemes, the sad news that the imperials were expected to leave tomorrow and would be deprived of her company.

“Oh that is too bad. I was so looking forward to serving you all again.”

She made her move to stand only to be tugged back. “ You can still do so…we can get a room…give a soldier a nice send off.”

She imagined throttling his neck. Biting down on his windpipe. Ending his life for daring to grab her wrist and suggesting such a thing.

“Oh I can imagine!”

—-

She somehow ends up in one of the back rooms, the imps excitedly chattering amongst another about their luck.

Aster sways back and forth; as if dancing. They watch mesmerized until the room goes dark.

There is shouts outside. Aster gives a scream of concern. Blaster fire outside the door.

Masked Mandalorians burst through the door. They make a grab for Aster and shoot an imperial in the hand. The imperials look on frozen as their companion screams.

Aster is gone.

—-

“Did I get the right one?” Ezra pops up the borrowed helmet.

“You read my mind darling, as if they had the chance to even kiss me.” They are in the hovercraft racing back to base. Aster sends Ezra a cheeky smile. “Ezra…” she could read his thoughts and feel all he gave off.

The Jedi blushes, “ Sorry Princess…couldn’t help it.”

She hums pleased, “ I’ll thank you in a bit. Best I tell everyone what I know.”

“Dressed like that?” He tosses her a poncho.

Aster laughs, “Good call else no one would listen…”

[spaced0lphin]

A Snippet from "Dialects": a WIP #Merrical Fic

Ah, yes. I have been writing a bit... Currently, I have around 3k words. My target is around 10k for my outline.

This takes place quite shortly after the events of the game. I am quite in love with these two who are, in my opinion, quite in love with each other - they just don't know how to deal with that yet...

Edited since OP: Decided to give a little more, showing what I'm going for...

Dathomir's feeble red evening vanished with the clunk and hiss of the hatch sealing behind him.

Dathomir's feeble red evening vanished with the clunk and hiss of the hatch sealing behind him.

Cal sneezed, fine dust billowing through his fingers.

Merrin lay on the couch off to one side, turning what looked like a small bone over and over in her hands, just the same as hours earlier.

“Sorry, Greez,” Cal called over his shoulder before picking it up and folding it. “... Anyway. It doesn’t look like the Nightbrother script. I thought you might want to see it?”

“So,” he said, catching his breath. She didn’t look up. “I found a few paintings on a wall nearby. BD says they’re fresh. Only a couple weeks old,” he continued, pulling his poncho off over his head. He dumped it in a pile of gear by the hatch.

“Hey!” A crotchety voice rang out from over by the galley. “I’m sure you’re in a hurry, but not that big a hurry. Hang that up, kid!”

“You saw one of Malicos’ many tiresome attempts at a land ward,” she interrupted, her tone gentle, but eyes firm. “As he is dead, and had the calligraphy skills of an infant, it does nothing.”

“I have seen enough of this place,” she replied.

“But… you haven’t been outside in a while, and I thought maybe -”

"Are you sure?" He asked, his shoulders sinking. “Maybe you should still look…?”

She sighed. "It is not like your Jedi, Cal Kestis," she said, her gaze falling to the floor. "There are always one or two more of you in hiding, it seems. It is not this way for me."

"Right, but..." He trailed off, the urge to reach out and comfort her turning into a knot in his throat. "I mean... I don't know how your magick works, but, maybe it's like speaking another language?"

"You are not making sense."

"Okay, your Magick and my Force. So, maybe their words, or… grammar, maybe, are different. But the ideas behind them are the same." 

Merrin's dark eyes locked with his own. The tiny hairs on the back of his neck prickled.

"I am listening," she said. 

"Well, I can feel it in other people. If I concentrate, I can reach out. That's how I know others are out there."

"You are simply trying to help. I know this,” she said, shaking her head. “But magick is not used in this way."

"Well... why not?"

"It is not the way it is done."

"If you are the last, then can't you decide how it's done?"

Merrin's eyes shifted back to the object in her hands. The conversation was over. He wanted to ask her about that thing she kept running her fingers over, or how her Binary was coming along. Maybe what her favourite food was. Anything to keep her talking. Anything to help her feel a little less alone.

"Hey, I'm sorry,” he said, rolling his aching shoulders. Running all the way back so fast left him a little sore. “Let me know if you need anything, okay? I'll be at my workbench."

Cal touched the scar running along the side of his neck as he strode the few paces into the back room. His plan to stop for a while at Dathomir and offer Merrin a few moments of normalcy had backfired, and in retrospect, he wondered what he'd been thinking. A feeling like hot coals smouldered in his breast. Setting his lightsaber's hilt on the table, he found he just couldn't wait to get at its insides. Flicking the lamp on, he set about unscrewing. With each component placed aside, Cal's mind wandered. His favourite place to wander was, as ever these days, to Merrin's side.

Being around her made him notice the little things. Like when she saw morning dew for the first time. Fat, silver droplets sliding down lush tufts of grass on a crisp Bogano dawn. A far cry, she'd said, from the thin layer coating her Dathomirian desert at sunrise. He couldn't help but smile when she asked, suspicious, if it was real. Even stories of Bracca's rains seemed to fascinate her. All this, and yet, the things she knew chilled him to the bone. She could make things just appear, or combine bits of whatever to make strange stuff happen. The dead could even walk when she was done with them. Cal shuddered, remembering the metallic taste in his mouth when Merrin first appeared, enwreathed in green fire. Like she stepped out of a hole in the air. Still, those verdant flames were, in their way, beautiful. So too were the grey lines of ink framing her face, and her immense well of personal strength – so plain in her eyes when she focused. He sighed, taking time to sauter a particularly tricky wire. What could he do to make a galaxy where she didn't need such strength all the time? What wouldn’t he do? He chewed his lip. Thinking along these lines probably wasn't a good idea.

[animcsus]

smol thing for an oc I'm building pay this no mind.

Did you hear about these inquisitors Vader is starting to deploy?

Oh, he heard about them. And they knew he was out here in the galaxy somewhere. But they thought, like many, that he would simply fade away. Here he was, hiding in the ghettos of a planet's city as a mechanic. "No, what about them?" Had to act calm, always having to keep a level head. Show fear, especially to them and he would have an issue on his hands. It was why in the secrecy of his own time, he found a way to build a secondary saber. He needed to learn different forms of combat aside from the fifth. It would ensure his survival to mix and be able to switch between the two... and with no master to guide him, he had to figure it out on his own.

Trust the force, it will guide you.

The person blathered on, telling him everything that they heard... He had to remind himself regularly that this person was... on the side of the empire at times. It was almost like they tried to goad him into giving himself away. But he remained steadfast. Gloved hand moved through brown hair, breath taken and him moving to close the ship's engine space. "Alright... this should be ready to go. I just need my payment."

They took a moment to stare at him and patted their pockets, hands being held up in a sorry, no money gesture. "No money, I can confiscate your ship. Imperial law. Ten thousand credits, if you can't pay up, you best learn to start looking for public transportation."

You can't just--

"I can. As stated before, no payment and I can confiscate your ship. The empire itself has the law in place. Look at the lawbook yourself if you don't think so."

I'm going to send the empire after you!

"Try it. I'll just tell them you were skipping out on your payment and I provided a service. They'll love to hear that." The angered 'customer' paused, gears turning in their head. The casual lean and seemingly calm demeanor of Vel hadn't been overlooked, it seemed. His glare held steady before they stomped off. His head shook, gloved hand moving to fix his poncho.

The air was starting to chill. Which meant he needed to lock up the hangar and go inside for the night. He was well prepared to see an imperial officer show up at his door, which meant he had to at least have his sabers ready... just in case.

Sure enough, around two hours after the initial issue, there came a knock at the door. Opening it revealed an imperial officer.

Good afternoon. We got a complaint of a mechanic confiscating a ship...

Brown eyes watched every move, brow quirking up as he shifted. "Just exercising my right as a citizen of the Empire when my payment has been shirked, officer. It's your law I'm following." he replied cooly, stepping aside as the officer gestured to walk in. He felt the cool metal hit his back, poncho hiding the sabers location there.

This won't take long... they also reported a jedi in the area... you wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?

"No, sir. I've been working on their ship all afternoon. Didn't even get to leave for lunch." He still watched everything, even while knowing they would find nothing unless they checked his person. Eyes scanned over the clones in the room, searching everything they could think of to look under, over, around... before they turned and reported nothing. Brown eyes turned down at how robotic they behaved, a small frown settled over his face. This could have been his men...

Seems nothing to worry about... It is as you say. He filed a false report. Apologies for wasting your time.

He felt ice at his back, eyes scanning between the clones now exiting with nothing and the officer that exited after before he hit the door to close behind them. Something was still wrong, but he had to keep his calm. A slow exhale was let out, him calmly moving to place everything back where it was moved out of place. This was getting difficult. In the whole time he was fixing his small apartment, that feeling didn't leave.

It was when he noticed the door shaking that he grabbed the keys to the confiscated ship and crept around the small space to where a blaster lie on his 'kitchen' counter. It wasn't over with the empire, let alone their lapdogs. Blaster was slid into the holster on his leg before he shifted. That's when he saw the red plasma impale the reinforced metal door. He had to move. An inquisitor wouldn't hesitate to cut him down whether he was a jedi or not.

Boots hit concrete and he moved quickly, only for the saber to vanish from the door. They were going to come over. He took a breath, hand readying to grab his blaster. Sabers were a last minute resort. Don't out yourself so soon. Keep going. Hand moved to vault him over a pile of boxes and slide under a low hanging arm before he was once again sprinting.

Vel Jolan!

Oh, skrag, they knew who he was. Keep going.

The red saber nearly hit if he hadn't narrowly shifted in time. Fingers reach for the blaster, which was sliced. He dropped it and moved to gain distance. He wasn't going to play this game today. He moved to the top of some boxes, hands both moving to grab sabers behind his back. They were ignited and he fixed his posture, the orange and green blades held in a readied pose. He wasn't playing nice today.

An icy laugh left the inquisitor, the knight breathing to calm himself. He couldn't panic. Trust the force. There was a moment of silence, the two watching for the other to move before the inquisitor moved. They lept, leaving themselves open to a saber... but they moved to block his attack. The two of them were locked into a battle. He was on the defense.

You were trained by Kenobi...

No, he wasn't... actually. He was trained by a completely different master. "Nice try. Kenobi only had one padawan. We all know it." This elicited a hiss from the inquisitor. Smooth swipes and parries blocked each attack from the inquisitor, Vel's attention honed. it wasn't until he moved his footing forward when he saw them too close to the edge that he took his advantage. A long swipe-form one- followed by a spin of another saber that was then moved quickly to hit the inquisitor's blade. A knock that had them off balance and the knight moving to try to hit again. They jumped back to the roof of the building before he shifted to ready himself again. End this now and this inquisitor won't be able to follow when you board your ship.

They came at him again, this time he moved to go below them and into a crevasse and through the twists and turns he'd learned through his few months of being here. focus. He was luring them. They might know it, but his slippery nature was irritating them. Good. Their anger will blind them. Sabers were turned off, the lights from them making the already darkening hangar harder to see in.

Hiding... how pathetic.

They thought they could taunt him into showing himself... but he knew how to throw his voice. "Not as pathetic as giving into the darkness in your heart. Must suck to know you're so weak." He moved silently, creeping through the boxes giving him cover. "So they offered you a life or being a sell out of death and you chose the life of a sell out? How does it feel to know the real traitor this whole time was you? A traitor to yourself."

They growled in their frustration. Got you. He shifted, using the shadows to his advantage and feeling for the hostility in the force. It would give him away, but it would also be something he had to make work to his advantage. He shifted, grip on his sabers tightening before loosening as he thought to shift back to his usual hold. They sliced into the part box to his right, sabers reigniting before he shifted. Form Five.

Now he was on the offense. His moves became more and more aggressive, pushing them back, moving into a crouch to miss being hit and blocking another attack aimed down. Now he had an opening. His free saber moved, swiping at the legs of the inquisitor before they let out a scream, him then swinging their saber away and moving to stab into their back.

He had to admit he was a little winded from that. The jedi panting as he moved to step over the body and towards the ship. He got in, to the cockpit... and started the engines. Ray shields went on just in time for blaster bolts to hit and he went into hyperdrive as soon as he made it to the safe distance.

A line of communication was opened, the familiar voice on the other end of the line asking if he was alright. "Hades... Tell Clutch to get the others ready... we have to move again."

[milfdarthrevan]

I decided to give my Jedi Exile a Classic Star Wars poncho. she deserves it <3

[whatanoof]

A Push in the Right Direction

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Cal Kestis x Reader

Word Count: ~7.6k

Warnings: fluff, smut, swearing, sexual tension, rough sex, sex pollen so by default it's dubcon, pining

Summary: Healing injured patients? Psh, easy stuff. Force healing? A little more tricky. Confessing your crush to your very close friend? Damn near impossible until a flower bush shoves you in the right direction.

A/N: Happy birthday my friend @marvelassassin221b!! I hope you are staying safe, and that your birthday will bring happiness and wisdom to your life. It's been a blessing talking to you and laughing at memes together <3 Thank you for giving me the push to get this fic done and posted, I couldn't have done it without you. Enjoy some of our favorite redhead Jedi ;)

You’ve always been terrible with directions. Like, it’s a miracle you haven’t gotten lost in more dangerous settings, but even your Jedi Master used to shake their head when you had survival exercises in your Padawan years. Greez too, makes comments about how atrocious you are at navigation. You hadn’t been allowed back to the holomap since a disastrous set of directions landed the Mantis on the more unfriendly side of the Outer Rim.

But even with all of your shortcomings at mapping, you have a solid crisis mode. You need to have one as a medic. It’s not a good idea to freeze when a patient is bleeding out on the ground in front of you, there is only one way that is going to end, and it’s not going to be a happy ending. Under pressure, all of the unsureness that surfaces during your attempts at navigation vanishes, and your body is moving before your mind even consciously thinks to. It’s your zen mode, almost your place of meditation, where you give into the inner instinct and allow the Force to guide you through the process. Too bad you can’t reach that state in any situation other than emergencies, maybe you would be able to navigate your moves in confessing a crush.

You had met Cal Kestis on Bracca. He’d cut his hand open on a jagged edge of wall paneling, and Prauf brought him to you, one of the few healers among the scrappers. You couldn’t tell what exactly it was that gave him away to you, but the instant his eyes met yours, you knew where he had come from.

Of course, you waited until Prauf had gone back to work to reveal yourself. Healing through the Force decreases the chance of infection, is painless, and is essentially instantaneous. While your normal supplies would have done the trick, the drama queen in you realized this would be the perfect way to show Cal he wasn’t alone. Force healing is tricky, but you’d had a surprising knack for it ever since your youngling years. The Order had trained you up in the way of Force healing and given you the tools to take advantage of your aptitudes. Cal’s face had been priceless when you simply waved your hand over his, and the wound closed within seconds.

There was a certain comfort in knowing you weren’t alone. Admittedly, in the long years after the Purge, you’d toyed with the idea that you had been the only Jedi to escape. Those had been dark days, where you could barely scrape together the energy to forage for food and water, laughing that the Jedi Order would die with a single Padawan who had lost her lightsaber along with everything she had known.

But then Cal stumbled into your little cordoned off area. You’d become close friends from that moment to the day Prauf died and the Ninth Sister shoved you both off of the cliff and onto the freight train below. The Mantis crew was surprised, to say the least. They had gotten reports of a single Jedi wreaking havoc on Bracca. But they welcomed you aboard and you had become the team medic, patching up Cal when he got back from missions and finding time in between to try and recover the Force abilities you had lost to time.

---

“Hey.” You look up from your work. Medical supplies lie strewn across the floor of your part of the room, bandages unwound and your meager supply of medication stacked methodically in the corner.

Cal looks down at you from the doorway, a streak of something across his cheekbone. You want to wipe it off, but you just smile back, “Welcome back. Find anything cool?”

His happy grin only widens, “You’ll have to come and find out.”

“What?”

He beckons you towards the main hull, “Come on!”

Cere and Greez are already there and seated around the meal table, and BD is perched on the table, chirruping animatedly as if talking to Cere. You take your place with them, noting the empty chair to your right. Merrin is back on Dathomir, searching for ancient texts about Nightsister magic and rituals. She’s been gone for several days, but you still find yourself seeking out her snarky comments and cool confidence.

“Okay.” Cal stands at the head of the table, rubbing his hands together in a way that makes him seem as if he is playing the adult. “I’m willing to bet you're all wondering why I’ve called you here today…”

“Spit it out Cal, you woke me up from a nap for this.” Greez eyes the redhead grumpily, and you fight to hide a grin. Cere also looks mildly amused, if slightly impatient.

Cal rolls his eyes, but continues, “Cordova left a message, saying something very valuable to our quest is locked in a vault in the Zeffo caves. I found the vault today and it matches Cordova’s description, but we need two Force users to access it.” He nudges BD, and the little droid projects an image of the vault door. It’s massive, with gold decorations swirling across it, and two obvious indents in the ground on either side for said Force users.

Everyone’s gazes flit to Merrin’s empty chair. It’s without question she would have been the best fit for this mission. Her combat style complements Cal’s perfectly, and Cere is still hesitant to use the Force.

Realization strikes you, and you glance up to see everyone’s eyes are now trained on you. You begin to shake your head. “That’s a bad idea--”

“We’ll be fine. I’ll lead us directly to the vault. I have my saber, and you have your Force healing. Worst case scenario, you have to patch me up in the field.” That is definitely not the worst case scenario, but there are no other options. This mission is time-sensitive, and you can’t wait for Merrin to get back from Dathomir.

You fix him with a stern glare. “I will come. But--” You hold up a hand when Cal opens his mouth. “You have to stick with me. No disappearing and popping out to scare me, because I will get lost We go in, and we get out.“

“I wouldn--” Cal protests.

“You would.” You snap.

“Yeah, he would.” Cere agrees.

“Sounds like something you would do.” Greez nods.

BD beeps cheerily from its place in the center of the table, clearly in agreement with you.

Cal shuts his mouth with an audible pop, and you cross your arms while staring him down. Yes he would.

“I need BD back here on the ship. I’m running diagnostics on the navigation programming, and I can’t do it alone.” Cere speaks up.

Cal hesitates. You understand; he never goes on missions without BD. The two are a package deal, but everything needs to be running at peak efficiency before you go to the Fort Inquisitorius. And there’s no way you’re willing to deal with a navigation error en route.

You speak up, “Yeah, it will be fine.”

Cal looks at you, “We need BD to unlock a shortcut. What happened to in and out?”

You wave him off, “We’ll take the scenic route. Cere needs BD back here, and we can manage without. We’ll have our comm units, it will be fine.”

---

Do you know that saying, “Famous last words?”

Yeah. You hadn’t realized just how famous those last words could be. It started when Cal realized he’d left his comm unit on the ship in the charging port. But it was fine, because you had yours. Until you dropped it into a puddle after tripping over a tree root.

The scenic route involved passing through the outskirts of a forest, and the terrain was a little trickier than you had been prepared to handle, obviously. So, commless and armed with a single lightsaber and two shared brain cells, you travel towards the entrance to the Zeffo caves.

A flower bush catches your eye. Its leaves are a shocking shade of red, with gorgeous blue flowers that seem to call you over to them. Cal keeps walking even as you stop and reach for the bush. You pluck the flower in the fullest bloom and turn it over in your hand, admiring the veins of deeper azure spider webbing across the petals.

Cal says your name behind you, “We have to keep moving if we’re going to get back before dark.”

Turning to face your companion, you tuck the blossom behind his ear and step back to admire how the blue contrasts against his hair. The word slips out almost without you noticing. “Cute.”

It’s almost comical how quickly his face blooms red. “Guh--”

“It’s a good look.” You reassure him quickly. “Adorable. Pretty. Cute.”

“--Thanks!” He ducks past you to the bush. “I’m just going to grab a seedling for Greez. He’ll like this one.” Cal grabs one of the large pods and breaks it open, removing a seed and sticking it into the pouch on his harness. “Okay, ready.”

But you’re distracted by the red pollen that explodes in a cloud around his head, dusting him with a fine mist that leaves scarlet traces on his face and shoulders. “What’s that?” You step forward and run a finger across Cal’s poncho, collecting the dust and rubbing it between your fingertips. You hesitate, then raise your hand to your face to smell the substance. The sickly sweet scent and underlying current of spicy musk sticks in your lungs. The back of your throat tickles, and you sneeze.

An echoing sneeze draws your attention. Cal leans against the flowering bush, one arm clamped over his nose as he sneezes over and over again. He glances up at you, coughing with watery eyes, “Wha--”

A spike of dread pierces through you. ‘Stars, was it poison?’ He won’t stop coughing, a dry rattle as his body tries in vain to purge the intruding red dust. You fall to your knees beside him. Panic fills your mind, blotting out logic and reason and you place your hands on his body, intent on Force healing him even though you don’t know what is wrong with him. Then, just as suddenly as the coughing started, it stops and silence rings through the trees.

“Cal!”

You're shoving your hand underneath his poncho in an instant to feel for his heartbeat. You hold your breath. You can’t feel a pulse. You scramble to rip his poncho off completely, dragging it over his limp shoulders and head. You shove your fingers against his throat again. There!

His heartbeat flutters delicately, beating a rapid tattoo against your fingertips. You allow yourself to breath. He’s alive. But his pulse is fast, too fast. You rip open his tunic, though you’re not entirely certain what it is you’re searching for.

Just as your fingers brush over his skin, Cal bolts upright with a gasp. “Wh-- where...?”

You swear you almost pass out from the relief that slaps you across the face. “Stars, I thought you were dead. I’m so sorry about the flower bu-- mmm!”

Cal smashes his lips onto yours, pushing you onto your back with the sheer force of the kiss. His tongue dips into your mouth, searching and probing and damnit you can’t breathe when he’s this close to you, this desperate. His hips jerk against yours with an unpracticed, aborted motion, dragging a very prominent erection against your body that makes you jerk back in surprise.

You push him away from him for a second, propping yourself up on your elbows as you search his face for some indication of… you don’t know what. But this isn’t like him. “Cal, what--?”

“Need you.” He groans, his hands roaming over your body without fear or shame and inspiring a wave of pleasure as he squeezes your breasts. “Maker, you feel so good. Smell so good.” You bite back a moan. This really isn’t the time, not in the middle of an Imperial occupied forest. But to be completely honest, he feels really good too.

You’d imagined this before. Well, not these exact circumstances, but the idea of being under Cal. You’d imagined the feeling of his hands scraping over your skin and squeezing your body wherever he would like. You’d imagined his lips on yours, and other places for sure. But you’d really only ever been able to envision Cal as a gentle lover, all quiet moans and hesitant movements and unsure expressions. But this rougher side? You moan raggedly against Cal’s mouth as he shoves a thigh between your legs, rubbing up against your clothed sex. This is amazing.

Streaks of heat flash through your body, converging between your legs. Everything is amplified, the sounds around you, the grass beneath your knees, the blueness of the sky overhead. But it all seems to pale when your attention lands on Cal, who’s more flushed than earlier. You feel the heat beneath your skin too, but he’s got to have it worse right now, because you’re not the one sweating like you’re stranded on a desert planet. Maker, the pollen was some kind of--

His name escapes your lips in a tiny whisper that morphs into a moan halfway through. You allow your head to fall back, and it thunks against the spongy moss across the ground, knocking you back to the present. Cal’s lost in you, his nose buried in the crook of your neck as he ruts weakly against your thigh.

You shake off the haze clouding your mind, crisis mode kicking into full gear. You have no comms, one horny Jedi, and a completely hopeless sense of direction. “Cal. We have to move.”

He whines high in the back of his throat. “No.” It’s almost pleading, but there is an undercurrent of steel that makes you pause.

“Cal. We’re out in the open. Troopers co-- could--” Stars, you can feel the lust pumping under your skin, so close to the surface that it could burst out at any second. But fear hovers on the edge of your mind, pressing in and suppressing the need to jump Cal and reminding you of the certain torture and death that would occur if you were caught.

Cal doesn’t seem to have any of the same restraints as you. His fingers are carding through your hair, “Just wanna feel you. Maybe more.” His teeth latch into your neck, and the dull pain pierces through the haze more firmly.

He got dosed more heavily with the pollen. You resist the urge to curse as you gently detangle from Cal and sit up, biting back a sigh of relief as his teeth leave your skin. “We have to find shelter.” You begin to look around, but all you can see is the forest. You need something better, a place where you can figure out what exactly is wrong with Cal. You try to stand.

“Noooo…” This isn’t going to work. You actually do curse this time. How are you supposed to find effective shelter while dragging a full grown man around hostile territory without compromising stealth, all while your libido is cottoning to the edge of your mind, clouding your judgment?

“Come here…” Cal’s arm wraps around your neck, dragging you back down to the ground even as you try to stand. Okay that’s enough.

“You’ll forgive me later, Cal.” You press your thumb to his forehead and concentrate. His skin is dry and burning to your touch, and your brow scrunches. That’s going to be an issue. You reach to tap into the Force, but you pause. Your Force connection is… foggy. That’s the only way you can describe it in words, but it’s muted and dimmer than usual.

Your Jedi Master taught you a metaphor for using the Force: a barrier exists between you and access to the Force. It’s a wall, and your mind must become like a sharpened sword to pierce through and reach the Force. You can feel the barrier, just as always, but it’s like a second layer exists around it. If the normal barrier is made of thin glass, the new layer is crafted from paper; it’s strange, and thicker than usual, but still easily pierced with extra… force if you can say that without making yourself laugh at the pun. You summon the strength and press your mental sword forward through the barrier.

Rest. Cal’s eyes roll back in his head and he falls asleep with a gentle exhale. He relaxes against you, and you relax in turn when you see the pained lines smooth out of his forehead. Jedi healing includes your own personal anesthesia on demand. It will keep him under for a little bit, though you can’t tell what kind of effect the pollen will have on the Force sleep.

Through some feat of the stars themselves, you struggle to your feet. Cal’s arm is looped around your neck, and you want nothing more than to just sink down to the ground again and give into the weakness and lust pulling at your legs, coaxing you to collapse and take your pleasure. And stars, Cal’s heavier than you expected him to be.

But you shake yourself awake. Can’t get distracted. You glance at Cal’s drooping head. He’s been strong for you this entire time. The least you can do is be strong now and find some shelter. But where?

Voices filter through the trees, and your head jerks up towards the sources.

“Yeah, she told me to take the bucket off, or she would charge the full payment and…” Stormtroopers. Kriffing hell.

“Come on.” You hiss underneath your breath. You gather your legs underneath your body and push. Your muscles scream in pain, but they ultimately obey and you stumble to your feet and begin to move away from the approaching voices. Cal is dead weight over your shoulders, pulling and urging you to rest. It would be so easy to give in, to sink back to the ground and let Cal do what he wants.

The trees blur together as you move through the forest. The stormtroopers’ voices are getting louder and you grit your teeth. You don’t know their patrol route. How are you going to avoid them? All you can do is place one foot in front of the other. Then the mossy ground turns to stone underneath your feet, and you slow. Caves. Perfect.

You hurry inside, fatigued legs forgotten in your relief. There’s a bend directly beyond the mouth of the cave, and you gently lay Cal against the wall. You’re completely hidden from anyone looking from the entrance. You sit opposite him, your head falling forward to sag against your chest. Now what?

Your comm unit is busted, and Cal’s is sitting back on the Mantis, so you can’t contact the crew. You hold a hand to Cal’s forehead. His temperature is getting worse. You don’t know what infected him, so your Force healing is out of the question. The only bright spot is you’re pretty sure the stormtroopers won’t find you. They’re not exactly recruited for their brains, and you’ll be able to sense their muted Force signatures if they get close.

Speaking of…

You trail off, contemplating Cal’s unconscious face. His head sags against the rock wall and there’s a line of drool leaking out of the corner of his mouth. His brow is finally relaxed, his breathing deep and even and it strikes you that this is the most peaceful you’ve ever seen him.

You reach out through the Force. It has become a habit for you, Merrin, and Cal to find peace in each others’ Force signature. Whether nightmares or difficult missions, the others would be there as a silent comfort.

Merrin’s is a mixture of whites and creams swirling against a dark maroon background. When she uses her Force magic, there is an unmistakable green tinge through it. Hers is powerful, with a sense of underlying safety in her strength. True to form, Merrin has been a protector figure in the Mantis.

But Cal’s is more diverse, a blend of warm colors against a grey background with blue tinging the edge. But while the colors are chaotic, Cal keeps a firm hold on his Force presence at all times, never allowing it to surge violently from emotion. He does not suppress it completely anymore, but you know he has the ability to make it nearly disappear from the senses of another Force user. You should know, because you can do the same. Merrin grew up without fear of having to hide her Force sensitivity, but you and Cal survived the Purge. You both have firm grasps of your thoughts and emotions projected through the Force. So in Cal, you found a kindred spirit that understands you better than almost any other person in the galaxy could. You’ve become more familiar with his presence than even your Master’s before the Purge.

But now, your brow furrows as you search for his Force presence over and over, pushing into every crevice of the surrounding environment without violating his privacy. You’re not mistaken. It’s gone, almost as if he has been turned into a droid before your eyes. Every living thing has a Force presence, no matter how minute. But Cal’s comforting whirl of light is gone, vanished as though he is no longer connected to the--

Cal’s eyes fly open and he sits forward with a quiet gasp. You jump. It’s worn off then. You secure his body with the Force, holding him loosely so as not to cause any lasting damage. You would have to tackle the Force connection problems later.

“I need you to focus.” He pushes against the bonds with a whimper, and you bite your lip as you struggle to hold him still.

“Cal!” Your Force bind tightens, and he stills with a grunt. “Talk to me. Fight through it.”

He shakes his head, eyes screwed shut. “Hurts.”

“What hurts?”

“Every-- ah! Everything. Can’t-- can’t th-think. Only thing-- makes it better… you.”

What? Your concentration lapses and the bonds loose. He lunges forward and buries his nose into your neck again, inhaling you as his hands scrabble at your clothes. “Hurts less with you. Smell so good--soft. Please?”

Stars, you can’t think straight with him touching you like this. You bite back a moan as his hands roughly squeeze your breasts through your shirt. Surely, it wouldn’t hurt to give in. Just for a little. Indulge, and then you can figure out a way back to the Mantis. Then Cal raises your shirt and licks a long stripe up your neck, and that’s all the convincing you need.

You melt into his mouth, your hands running under his shirt and harness. His chest is just as feverishly hot as his forehead, but you can’t bring yourself to care when he swings a leg over yours so he’s hovering over you, knees planted on either side of your body. His hands shove your shirt over your head before setting to work on the button of your pants. You raise your hips to allow him to pull your pants under your butt. Your own hands yank at his clothes, silently begging him to strip with you.

But he doesn’t. He kneels between your legs and pulls your underwear to the side, exposing your wet folds.

“Cal--!” You’re cut off as he drags his tongue over your pussy, flicking against your clit at the end. Your stomach muscles contract, and it’s all you can do to keep quiet as he licks deep into your core.

---

The world is blurred. It’s like something crawled into his head and messed with his brain, dragging his focus away from more important issues… he can’t seem to remember right now. He can’t even feel the Force. His connection is compromised, the colors of the world are off, and there’s this bone deep ache within his body urging him closer to you. And as he’s drinking in your taste, the pain subsides and he can breathe again.

What is this? What’s happening to him? It has to be the pollen, it has to be its effect on his body, that’s why he’s lost all control over his mind and self. It’s why he can’t hold himself back from your body and you.

You’re all he can focus on; you’re so beautiful writhing under him as he tastes you. He’s never done this before. He can’t figure out why he hasn’t done this sooner, because you taste amazing right now and how you sound as he slides his tongue through your folds is doing things to him that he’s never experienced before.

His hips are dragging against the floor unintentionally. The friction of his dick against the rough material of his pants is a small slice of heaven, and he whimpers at the pure electricity spreading down his spine. He doesn’t want this to end so soon, but his body is shoving him towards the edge of release and the relief he knows is going to come with it.

---

A moan keens high in the back of your throat as Cal’s mouth presses against your soaked core. It’s sloppy and clumsy, but Maker if he doesn’t make up for it with enthusiasm. The only sounds coming from him are tiny moans and grunts and you shudder as his fingers dig into the pillowy flesh of your thighs, leveraging them apart and holding them there firmly. Of their own will, your hips roll up into his face, chasing after his touch.

You’re completely unprepared for Cal to growl when you do so. His grip tightens, and you squeak as your thighs are spread even farther apart and his mouth completely envelopes your clit.

Is this what heaven feels like? You can barely manage coherent thought when his tongue is devastating you like this, but thequestion rotates around your lust dumb brain as your toes curl and your back arches. Your release rushes up and sweeps you away, your core clenching as waves of pleasure wash over your body. You hear Cal whine as you cum, and you hear your own moans as you ride out your orgasm.

---

Stars, why hadn’t he done this sooner? The sounds that he’s pulling out of you right now could make him come in his pants on the spot, and the taste of your release has him rutting against the ground all the more insistently as he chases his own high.

But he doesn’t want to come in his pants, he wants to be inside of you. He wants you, your body squeezing tight around him, to feel the wetness seeping around his tongue rather than tasting it, even if it tastes divine.

He grabs your hips and yanks you down so your crotch is flush to his. He nearly loses his mind when your soaked core meets the bulge in his pants. Fuck, he thought he could wait, but he can’t.

But--something is still off with the world’s coloring. Where is the Force? The comforting pressure is gone from the back of his mind, the constant reminder of balance that keeps him in tune with his emotions and surroundings. Panic edges around the perimeter of his mind. In an act of desperation, he reaches for the Force, searching for the whispers of memories that accompany his world. They’re gone. Where did they go?

You whisper his name again, and this time his eyes meet yours.

---

You watch Cal carefully. He’s flushed, trembling as he hovers over your body, hands bare centimeters away from your skin. His eyes are desperate, and you can feel the pain in them as clearly as if it was your own. A bead of sweat tracks down his temple to soak into the collar of his harness, and he fumbles to rip the rest of his clothing off, discarding it on the floor as though it burned against his flesh.

“Cal.” He looks back at you. “Take what you need.”

It’s all the permission he needs. Relief and something else flashes through his eyes before he looks back down and fumbles with his pants fastening. His cock is flushed dark red, and his hands tremble as he pulls it out of his pants, jaw clenched as he lines up with your entrance. He slides into you with a bone-deep sigh of relief, and you cry out at the stretch. Every inch sparks pure electricity up your spine, and your eyes roll back in your head. He bottoms out, and for a heart stopping moment you feel a connection to him you couldn’t describe in words. Your hips roll against his, grinding the head of his cock up against something heavenly. Light explodes behind your eyes at the movement, arching your back and curling your toes.

Cal chokes, a beautiful sound you’ve only heard a few times before; the one that sounds like its been pulled from the deepest parts of his being, like he’s just ascended to another plane above the physical. It’s gorgeous and so insanely hot you’re completely unprepared for his sudden movement when he lunges forward.

Cal’s hand shoots out and presses against your neck, effectively pinning your upper body to the hard ground. You inhale shakily through your nose, but his grip does nothing more than hold you. You can still breathe, but the pressure on your throat sends a shock of heat between your legs with the reminder of the control you just relinquished.

“Stop that.” His other arm slams onto the stone beside your head, and your eyes lock. Cal’s pupils are blown, so dark you can almost see your reflection in the dim light of the cave as he glares down at you.

He doesn’t give you time to respond before he drags his hips away from yours, inch by painstaking inch and rocks back into your body with an easy roll of his hips. He exhales gently as he bottoms back out inside of you, a low moan rumbling out of his throat when he reaches that same depth within your heat.

It’s the eye of a storm; a hurricane you hadn’t known you’d entered. He rocks back and forth again, only there’s fractionally more force and speed to the motion this time. Again, and your body shakes with the force. Another, and you have to bite your lip to stifle the scream when he slams back into your body. It’s like the tide, coming in gradually, but more and more with each passing moment. The force swells, each thrust pushing into you a little harder and making your body shake a little more with each thrust.

A shuddering groan rumbles out of him as he finds the rhythm. The hand not pressed delicately around your throat slams down on the rock next to your head. When you look up towards the cave ceiling, Cal’s flushed skin and tousled hair fills your vision.

His hair, which is usually swept out of his eyes. Cal’s hair has always been so well cared for, usually brushed and slicked back so it doesn’t dangle in his eyes. Now, it’s soaked with sweat and falling into his face as he stares down at you like you’re the only star in the sky.

---

Take what you need? Holy stars, he can barely think enough to comprehend it, but some inner part of him aches at the sentence.

As soon as he realized his heart jumped every time you smiled at something, or that his brain short circuited at the sound of your laugh, he’d sworn he would keep it under wraps. He’d promised himself he would wait until after the galaxy finishes imploding and collapsing around your heads. The first time he’d jerked off to the idea of your body, he vowed to satisfy himself with his hand until it was safe. He’d wait until after the holocron is safe and there’s nothing to worry about, because relationships are messy and complicated and--

Fuck, he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care about that promise, because how can he regret being balls deep in you while you’re whining and squirming underneath him, when you look at him with such trust even as he pins you to the floor by your throat? His eyes gravitate to the mark on your neck, red and irritated with the indent of his teeth, and he feels his cock twitch even as he continues to pound into you. He likes that.

The promise didn’t keep his eyes from wandering to your face at any opportunity. It didn’t prevent the pressure in his chest from growing over the weeks and months. It definitely didn’t keep Cere and Greez from noticing, and that was a conversation he would rather have scrubbed from his mind.

Take what you need. That one sentence is spinning his world on its metaphorical finger. Take what you need. As if he didn’t want it, but he needed to do it. In all honesty, it had really felt like he was going to die. The burning in his throat that caused the coughing fit, then the racing heart and the overheating; he thought he wasn’t going to make it unless he--

Well, unless he fucked you.

But even if he needs it, he wants it even more, had wanted it for too long. But everytime an opportunity presented itself, he pulled back. He remembers how he threw away the flowers he gathered on the mission instead of bringing them back to you on the Mantis. He remembers every time he denied spending time with you, because his emotions were too raw and close to the surface, and he couldn’t predict his control over his own tongue. Because he didn’t think he could have handled it if you didn’t want him back.

But you had offered to help. Maybe you’d wanted it too, because the whole galaxy could be shoving you in one direction and you would defy it. Nothing can make you do anything you didn’t want to, and that applies to Cal Kestis too.

---

Your orgasm swells up sharp and sudden, gripping you in its claws and shoving you into the attack of muscle spasms and searing pleasure that punches into your abdomen. Your body arches, accidentally hitting your head against the ground.

Cal’s rhythm stutters and his hips jerk forward. His hand leaves your throat as he drops to his forearms. His head drops down to press against yours gently, even as he whimpers and continues to grind forward into your soaking heat.

“Fuck.” Cal gasps, eyelids fluttering rapidly. “Fuck. ‘M gonna cum.”

There’s no time to respond before he’s drawing up and tensing against you. His hips piston in and out once, then he’s cumming and all you can do is lie there and take it. Fuck that’s hot.

You can feel him spilling into you, every warm spurt of cum and every twitch of his cock as he spends himself. Even better is the drawn out groan that trails into his upper register, ending in a tiny whimper. The tension drains out of his face and he sags down, sweaty skin pressed against yours. His arms wrap around your body and he hoists your limp body up as he rolls over. He sits against the wall of the cave, seating you on his lap, cock still firmly buried inside you.

You allow your head to sag back against his shoulder, relishing in the feeling of his body pressed so closely to yours. His hand paws weakly at the fabric of your shirt, and you raise your arms to slide it off. It’s better like this, skin to skin contact seems to calm him down. He buries his nose into your bare neck and mumbles something you can’t make out.

You nudge your head against his gently, “Hm?”

“Thank you.” His lips ghost over the delicate juncture between your neck and shoulder. “Thank you thank you thank you...” He continues to mutter the phrase into your skin, tickling your skin as he nuzzles closer to you.

You should say something. Confess, maybe, everything you’ve been hiding. “Cal, I--” You shift slightly, and something feels off. You furrow your brow and glance downwards at your joining point, “Cal are you still hard?”

He props his chin on your shoulder. “Uh--” He thrusts shallowly up into you, and you stifle a whimper. “Ye-yeah. Sorry?”

“N--” You gasp as his cock twitches. “No. Don’t be sorry. Do you need to go again?” Arousal stirs in your core again, burning a slow path through your nerves and reigniting the flames that had dulled to embers. Your breath catches in your chest and you grind your hips back into his.

“I--I think so.” His voice is strained and his breath comes in short gasps next to your ear. “Not-- not as-- as bad though.”

“That--ah!” Cal chooses that exact moment to pick a spot on your neck and latch on. He nips at the skin before soothing it with his tongue. His hands, roughened with callouses from his saber, climbing, and tinkering, scrape over your skin with just the right amount of friction. You bite your bottom lip. “That’s fine. Should I move?”

His hands find your hips and hold you firmly in place. That’s a no then. His hips rock up into yours gently, and you feel your cheeks warm at the wet sounds of your combined release. Cal grunts, “Let me.”

So you do. You lie back against his bare chest and just take what he gives you, whimpering whenever he brushes against that spot inside you that sends electricity up your spine. You’re gripping his arms so hard you’re sure he’s going to have bruises in the shape of your fingers.

---

Stars, you’re fucking perfect. Just lying here and giving yourself to him. He can feel the Force dimly, but it’s there. The pollen is leaving his system as he slowly fucks you on a cave floor in the middle of a dense forest while stormtroopers patrol outside.

You cry out with his next thrust, the head of his cock striking something inside of you that must feel good because you clench around him and--

Did you just come again?

The additional lubrication only increases the lewd squelch with every thrust, the mixture of his cum and yours only making sliding in and out of your channel easier. He can still feel the effects of the pollen at the back of his mind, and it keeps him hard and sensitive as he continues to fuck you.

He’s aware he should be at least a little worried about the implications, starting at the top with how he’s going to complete the mission and ending with what exactly fucking on a cave floor means for your relationship. Somewhere in the middle is the stormtroopers and the pollen, and the oath of the Jedi Order forbidding relationships. But he can’t grasp it.

Even if there are more pressing concerns, all he can do right now is continue pushing his hips up into your soaking core painstakingly slowly. He wants to enjoy this while he can, while he’s able to fool himself that you want him back. Unless…

---

The only solace you could find in the situation was that you could have Cal, even for these few short moments. Because as much as you may want to convince yourself, a tiny voice inside your head keeps whispering: it’s all the pollen. That’s the only reason why he wants you. And you force yourself to believe the voice, because it’s easier to block off any chance for pain and rejection.

But you know you’re in trouble the second Cal opens his mouth. The words are a harsh whisper, rasping out of his dry throat into your ear, “Beautiful. So gorgeous, giving me what I need, what I want.”

You arch against him and stifle the whimper rising in the back of your throat. His mouth is right next to your ear, so there isn’t anywhere for you to escape from the words that rumble into your brain; words you try to convince yourself are empty. You shove your hand against your mouth rather than allow any sound to escape.

He moans, “Want to do this again. Don’t want this to be just once.”

“Th--that--that’s the pollen talking.” You gasp when you feel his fingers graze over your clit, your own hand drifting back to latch into his hair.

Cal hisses when you tug with a little more strength than necessary, but he doesn’t tell you to stop. One hand supports your weight as he moves you up and down on his dick, the other rubbing little circles around your clit. His hips make up for the lost strength everytime they drive up into you at the lowest point of the rhythm, squelching with every thrust.

“Not--not the pollen. All you. All me.”

You blink, all temporarily forgotten when the words register in your hazy mind. “...What?”

“Wanted this. Wanted this for a while.” Cal finds your clit with his fingers, and you can’t prevent the way your legs jerk and your body seizes against his.

Fuck you’re going to cum. If the first orgasm was a flashfire, this one is a slowly simmering blaze. It creeps up slowly, burning a hole through your abdomen, curling around your ribs and inching down your legs. Your eyes roll back, and your head falls back against Cal’s shoulder.

“Cal. I--I thi--” You try to warn him, you really do. But words aren’t forming correctly right now, and it’s all you can do to hunker down and try to prepare yourself for this truly devastating crest that’s preparing to launch you over the edge.

If Cal gets your warning, he doesn’t show it. All he does is turn his head to the side, press a light kiss to your cheek, and groan, “I think I love you.”

Oh shit. Cal’s timing couldn’t have been more perfect if he planned it. Before you can respond, hell, before you can even begin to fucking process that last sentence, you’re coming hard. Maybe it’s the whiff of pollen you got earlier, or the fact that Cal is the one fucking you so sweetly and thoroughly, or the thrill of being mere steps away from discovery, or a combination of all of it, but this orgasm certainly feels like the most intense of your life.

Spasms ripple outward through your belly, curling you up in Cal’s lap as you ride out your high. Your legs straighten and your toes curl and you clamp down hard around Cal’s cock.

Cal shouts raggedly in your ear, pulling your body close. But even as you whimper and shake on the end of his cock, you remember that you can’t make too much sound.

As if he heard you, Cal burrows his face into your shoulder, his teeth once again finding a place in your skin to muffle his voice as he cums deep inside you once more. His body shakes as he spends himself again, the spasms slowly subsiding with every jerk of his hips into yours.

‘I did hear you.’ There’s a tinge of amusement to the nonexistent voice that echoes in your mind, and you relax back against Cal.

‘Feeling better?’ You nudge him back through the Force, revelling in the feeling of his colorful presence swirling around you once again. The pollen has worn off.

He doesn’t say anything in response, only pulls you close with his arms around you. His mind pushes at yours, and you let him in. You’ve done this a million times, usually on the tail end of nighttime panic attacks, but this time is different. This is the most loose he has ever been with his Force presence, and you allow it to fill the empty parts of your mind. Wait, he loves you?

He rushes over you in the same way the tide comes back to land, calming your fear at finally understanding the weight of his last confession. He’s relaxed, and the familiar energy has a new angle to it, a new emotion you hadn’t felt before in another’s Force signature. You grasp it gently, turning it over and admiring it in the eye of your mind. What is it?

The answer rushes to you just as Cal mutters against your skin, “Love.” The same thing you’d been feeling in the pit of your heart every time you looked at Cal, everytime he kept you safe from the nightmares in his arms and stayed with you until morning, every time you made him tea and did maintenance on his gear after a tough mission.

“I love you.”

You blink up at the ceiling of the rock cave, mouth open with the words just on the tip of your tongue. But they won’t come. The words are stuck in your throat, and try as you might, you can’t make yourself say them.

“Hey.” Cal whispers in your ear, and you shut your mouth. “You don’t have to say it back. But you know that I do, and I know a little of what’s going on up here.” His finger taps the side of your head lightly. "You don't have to figure out where to go from here. I'll navigate."

‘Thank you.’ You send the words through the Force, and he acknowledges them. Yeah, you're shit at knowing where to go when it comes to feelings. But at least with Cal, you won't have to worry about getting lost alone. You sit in peaceful silence for a few minutes, before a thought occurs to you.

“Cal.” His name is little more than a weak rasp off your tongue. You clear your throat and try again. “Cal.”

He grunts unintelligibly.

“Don’t bring that seed back to the Mantis.”

A/N: I will be the first to admit that this fic was hard, because I wanted to incorporate some previous feelings into this to make it less dubcon, and I didn't feel that all plot holes were filled. But that didn't make this any less enjoyable for me, and it was fun to explore a new facet of Cal's character.

Thanks for everyone who gave me inspiration and motivation to keep pushing this through the old brain up here. Smut isn't the easiest for me:)

Taglist: @alliterative-albatross

[wrencatte]

mini-fic 6(ish!) post-Fallen Order. Mantis Crew. Cal & Merrin. Omniscient POV (Mostly Merrin). 1.1k words Cal...has a beard??? ao3 mini fic link - chapter 6 (ponchos)

Cal plops down on the couch with a loud, drawn-out satisfied sound, relishing in the first comfortable seat in literal days. Merrin looks up from her holonovel, blinks once, twice, and bluntly asks, “What is wrong with your face?”

He slaps a hand to his chin. “There’s nothing wrong with my face.”

“No, there is,” she insists, abandoning her novel to grab hold of his wrist and wrench his hand away – or at least she tries to wrench it away, but Cal resists valiantly, muscles straining with the effort. He leans as far back from the Nightsister as possible until he yelps, and they both go tumbling off the couch to land in a groaning heap on the floor.

Cere watches them, eyebrows raised, and lifting not a single finger to assist either one of them. BD chirrups from his spot over the Master’s shoulder, something distinctly mocking in his tone even without knowing binary, and Cal groans again, louder and more obnoxiously.

“Thanks, buddy, knew I could count on you,” he snarks. The droid whistles something else that just makes him laugh.

“What did he say?” Merrin asks even as she resorts to prying Cal’s hand off his face, fingers digging under his palm. He tries to smack her hand away with his free one, but she just grabs it and pins it awkwardly to the side out of the way. She pauses, head tilted in contemplation, then drops her entire body weight on the Jedi. He lets out a wheezing oof! at the suddenness, eyes wide. BD laughs at him. “This would be easier if you just gave in.”

“Doubt it,” he grunts.

They grapple – no, actually, tussle is really a better word to describe it. Neither of them are actually trying at all. Cal’s stuck arching his face away from Merrin since he can use his hand, and Merrin could easily hurt him in this position, so her efforts are half-hearted at best. Both of them are laughing like children, little hushed, breathless giggles. Cere doesn’t hide her smile, thoroughly enjoying the sight of them acting so care-free, and secretly recording the whole thing. Even though they have BD for that, there’s something about having a version all to herself that she can’t resist.

Cal finally gives up and removes his hand. Merrin makes a noise of triumphant – that gets cut off when he (gently) smacks his hand against Merrin’s face instead, effectively blinding her. He uses the surprise attack as leverage to shove her back against the base of the couch and he scrambles to his feet, putting distance between the two of them quickly, and…goes back to covering his chin.

“It is not that embarrassing,” Merrin tells him.

Cal scowls. “You said there was something wrong with my face!”

She makes a conceding expression. “Fair, but I did not mean it in that way. It merely…caught me by surprise.”

Cal had been gone for the last few days, exploring a nearby mountain pass in hopes it was what they were looking for (it wasn’t), so forgive her shock when he came back looking like that. He changed out of his regular poncho and new vest combo in favor of a pair of loose pants with far too many belts and his ratty training top that Greez has tried to throw out several times – though not as many times he’s tried to throw out some of his older, more…pungent ponchos. His hair longer than when she first met him, long enough to tuck behind his ears, and when you add that to what’s going on with his face…

He eyes her warily then semi-reluctantly drops his hand, putting it on his hip instead in a sort of are you happy now? pose. Merrin stares at him. He stares back, weight shifting as if he’s about to bolt.

“It looks good,” she declares finally.

Cal rolls his eyes. “You literally said – .”

“I did not get a proper look! You surprised me!” Merrin snaps. Cal throws his hands up in a huff.

He has a beard.

Or…almost a beard. Barely a beard, it’s still growing in and all. But it’s there and it, and it adds a maturity to his face she wasn’t expecting. Before, his old, world-weary soul could only be felt in the Force when he dropped his shields and let them help him. Now, though, Merrin looks at him and she can see the weight he carries far too easily. The beard looks good, yes, but it makes her heart ache just a little.

Cal scrubs a hand over the short, scratchy-looking beard. It makes his freckles stand out, somehow, or maybe that’s because they’ve been hopping from sunny planet to sunny planet these last few months and he’s no longer stuck under the perpetually gloomy clouds of Bracca. He burns instead of tans, but he seems to get new freckles every day.

“I didn’t mean to grow one in,” he admits. “But I’m kinda attached now.”

“Literally,” Cere adds.

He sticks his tongue out at her then jumps with a strangled yelp when she thrums their bond in admonishment like he’s a twelve-year-old apprentice all over again. “Hey! That’s a cheap shot!”

“What’s a cheap shot?” Greez asks, walking onto the Mantis. He looks up from the holopad he was consulting. “Oh. Hey, Cal, welcome back…What’s wrong with your face?”

Cal swears at him in Huttese as Merrin laughs. “All of you! All of you are against me! It’s not that bad!”

“It truly isn’t,” Merrin assures him, sounding only half-sincere to his ears.

Cere shrugs. “It’s not too bad,” she agrees. “I think it needs another day or two before it really works for you, though. Right now it’s…” She wiggles her hand with a wince.

“Ehhh,” is Greez’s contribution.

Cal hides his face with both hands this time, sighing very, very loudly. “You are all so mean to me. Fine, I’ll kriffin’ shave it off. Greez, got anything I can use? My kit got lost somewhere.” He glares BD-1 from between his fingers and the droid chitters in response, sounding offended. “I am not! You’re the one who went over the ledge! I told you not to scan it!” BD-1 beeps something decidedly rude.

“Nothin’ for your human sensitivity. You’re gonna have to wait until our next supply stop, kid.”

He groans. “Unbelievable. That’s a week from now.”

Merrin pats his shoulder consolingly. “You will survive,” she says seriously. “And if you do not, I know several rituals that will bring you back with minimal…side-effects.”

“Thanks, Merrin, you really know how to make a guy feel better.”

She smiles. “You are welcome!”

[elionwriter]

STAR WARS TOP 10 CHARACTERS AND RELATIONSHIPS (PART 2)

4) ASHOKA TANO ( + OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN = THE ORIGINAL TRIO)

While Ashoka on her own deserves the spot and I would normally slide Obi-Wan in the next position and I already pretty much gave Anakin Skywalker a position on the list I felt the need to stack them here not only because their family/friendship bond is one of the best in the entire saga but I also feel that these three really shine the most when put together!

While there are other noticeable characters from her species, Ashoka is the ultimate Togruta pride! Badass, sassy, awesome and wields the double lightsaber in the reverse grip like no one else. She goes from impertinent and immature kid to possibly the most mystical, wise and strong character of all. While never appearing in the movies, Ashoka is always there, snaking her way through all the major events of the Galaxy, facing the complexities and contradictions of each in her unique way. If Obi-Wan is the true Jedi, the one that marries completely the rules, responsibilities and philosophy of his title in it's purest form, Ashoka still pretty much manages to do the same while walking away from the order and its doctrine. They both represent what Jedi should be, the legendary figures the normal people in the Galaxy need and can place their faith in. In many ways, I think what doomed Anakin Skywalker (beyond a lifelong brainwashing from Palpatine) is that he was caught in the middle. He saw all the faults and corruption in the order and couldn't embrace it like his master but couldn't even cut ties like his padawan. Ashoka also gets cookie points for giving Anakin retribution headaches for all those he gave Obi-Wan throughout his own training.

5) R2D2 & C3PO =

Repeat after me: droids are better than humans! Star Wars really does seem to firmly make a point of this since almost all droids introduced in the series are awesome! BB8, Chopper, IG-11, HK-47 (ok, he's not canon, but he's so cool and fun he at least deserves a mention), you name it, but nobody takes the cake quite like these two. They have truly stuck together through thick and thin, countless masters and the most suicidal missions always managing to come out on top. If you think about it, they have witnessed all the dramatic, key events of the Galaxy of their age first hand and have contributed to its history more than any singular hero/villain. The fact that they manage to keep their bolts together through not one but THREE generations of Skywalker drama should already be considered an incredible feat in and out of itself but they do that while remaining the most hilarious and consistent characters of the saga. Their "love /can't bare you" relationship is both hilarious and heartwarming and their personality is so fully fleshed out that at times their reaction to situations is more grounding and relatable than the humans'. These reasons and the fact that they are inextricably bonded to the Skywalker family, almost acting like their guardian angels or family spirits are proof that these two deserve this spot on the list. The force disappoints, R2 and 3PO do not. May the droids be with you!

6) Cal Kestis & BD1 =

All hail the Poncho boy. Right off the bat I'm going to admit something: I have a type and my type is cute redheads. That said, I am very biased when considering Cal but I do honestly have solid reasons for placing him on the list. Not only was Cal caught in the whirlpool that was order66 at an incredibly young age, he has carried himself as a Jedi at heart throughout the entire time he was forced into hiding with an incredibly humble and kind personality holding dear the true principals of the order but he also managed to make incredibly difficult and brave decisions at the end of Jedi: Fallen Order. Cal has an incredibly rare force gift that sets him aside from the rest and a capacity to forgive and believe in others that matches Luke Skywalker's. And his adorable little droid that spends the entire game mostly perched on his shoulder is a perfect counterpart. While talking only in binary BD-1's sweet, loyal and hopeful personality really manages to shine through. I already said that droids are amazing but BD's willing sacrifice to forget his original master fully believing in Cal's ability to come through with the holocron mission even before knowing him really sets him aside from this already incredible category. Also, and it must be said, Cal delivers one of my favourite lines ever "I'm trash, just not approved trash". Oh boy do I hope EAgames and Ubisoft pull out a sequel to Jedi: Fallen Order, I just can't wait to get more of these two!

[mandos-lightningbeforethunder]

Start Again - Chapter Six (Din Djarin x Reader)

SUMMARY: Arriving on Orus, Din learns more about the girl and forces himself to make a choice when the planet isn’t so welcoming after all. 

CHAPTER WARNINGS: discussion of sexism/gender roles, canon-typical violence, non-consensual touching, mention of blood, and panic attacks/anxiety attacks. 

Author’s Note: This chapter sits at 3k words! It’s the longest chapter yet and a lot happens! I would also like to give credit to @kyberpistol​ for starting the headcanon of haunted!Din. I love the concept and I felt like I could use it in my story. Please heed the warnings. Feel free to like and reblog! 

CHAPTER SIX - THE FIGHT

Landing on Orus is difficult, the terrain is not suitable for ships of Idrionna’s size. Din should’ve known that the moment Cara suggested the planet to him, but it was the first suitable planet on the list. It was also the closest, so fuel was not a concern.

When they arrived, the suns had already set over Orus, making the trek to the city of Opseg dangerous. A drop in the canyon could be hidden in the darkness, leaving them with no choice but to set up a camp for the night. Din knew that the girl would rather not sleep in the cot on Idrionna, at least for one night. Not that the sand was any more comfortable, but for at least one night it could be.

“It’s a bit of a drop,” The girl says, peering down the canyon below their feet. Even in the darkness, Din could see the dip in the edge of the canyon. Her voice echoes off the walls, giving Din an idea of just how far the drop was. Couldn’t have been more than a couple hundred feet, he thinks.  

“It is,” Din says, looking across from where they’re standing. He could see the bustling city of Opseg just on the horizon. It had a medcenter, big enough to take in the girl for a physical examination without a long waiting time.

Cara had mentioned that Orus had been overlooked by the Empire. An old mining planet, when the Empire had arrived to steal the planet’s profit, they found that the mines had been wiped clean by a flood. Locals had called it a “hundred-year storm”, which had wiped out half the population as well as all the loot. With no profit to be made, the Empire sought other planets. Since then, Orus had been running an underground mining operation, making millions of credits in a single day alone. Once a ghost town, Opseg was on the up and coming. The city was expanding by the day, housing a growing population enriched by the planet’s rare ores.

“It’s beautiful,” The girl murmurs. Din turns, his eyes catching the lights of the city. It glows in the darkness of the surrounding landscape, making it all the more beautiful. He glances back up at the girl, catching the light just glimpsing off her face.

Despite her suffering, she was still full of life. The way her face contorted in excitement as she merely stared at the city ahead of her. Her entire life was stolen from her, yet she still saw the universe in the same innocence a child would. Shaking himself out of his daze, Din takes one more look at the city, before turning to start the fire.

“You didn’t get off Puvo much?” He asks, collecting enough firewood to keep them warm for the night. It was their luck that the wind hadn’t been terrible, a light breeze to keep the embers of the flame away from their faces, but not enough to put the fire out. Surprising luck for a mountainous planet.

“I wasn’t allowed to,” she replies, her voice distant. He turns to see her still staring at the city ahead of her. “Tatooine was my first. I had to convince Valara to let me go off-world. When I first started venturing out on my own on Puvo, I was told going off Puvo wasn’t an option. They were worried that if the Empire found out I was still alive, they’d come and finish the job.”

“They were probably right,” he says, igniting his flamethrower to start the fire. Although meant for combat, it usually came in handy when fires needed to be started quickly. Din watches as the flames jump, licking up the wood.

“They were,” she sighs, “But eventually I needed answers. So, I employed that pilot and then I found you. You’re the only one who’s willing to help me.”

Din pauses, looking back over her. Her focus remains on the city, but this time her face was troubled. Conflicted, perhaps, over the thought of leaving the only home she had ever known. She had left the one safety net protecting her from the Empire all in the name of seeking out answers that may not even exist.

“Besides, washing plant leaves on Puvo wasn’t what I wanted.” She chuckles, shaking her head, “I knew the work that was expected of me, but I wanted something more. Everyone thought I was too fragile.” She mumbles, shaking her head.

“Too fragile for what?” Din finds himself asking. He watches as she joins him by the fire, leaning against her pack.

“I don’t know…work that wasn’t just washing leaves and preparing them for transport.” She laments, looking up at the constellations above. “I stole a communicator off a pilot back on Puvo. It was so easy. The pilots that fly in, they’re so full of themselves. I let him talk about himself and he didn’t even notice it was missing.”

“You stole a communicator?” He asks. It’s not a surprise that she was able to steal one so easily. Most of the pilots he had come across in the New Republic Era were cocky, thinking themselves as the best of the best. In reality, had they been flying when the Empire was still in power, they probably would’ve never left the ground on any planet.

“I did,” she chuckles, “Valara couldn’t believe it, but I think she knew deep down I was capable of more. Over time she knew I was growing bored of the same chores we did every day.”

“What did you want?” Din finds himself asking, looking at her as she sits up. Her eyes look to the fire and Din admires the way the light of the flames flicker off her skin.

“The war was over and Puvo had been at peace for a while. Didn’t mean that they weren’t prepared for something. I saw the training that the soldiers went through. If the boys wanted to, they could go off to receive training. Puvo is a traditional planet, the women stay home for the families and the men work. I wanted to train, Valara blamed it on the post-traumatic stress but at the time, it was all that I could think about. I was so angry at the Empire after I found out what they had done to me, I wanted revenge and I thought learning to fight might help.” The girl shrugs, tossing a couple of sticks she had gathered into the fire.

“What stopped you?” He asks. Twisting a vibroblade between his fingers, he carefully begins to carve at the end of the stick, sharpening the edge.  

“On Puvo, if you’re a woman wanting to fight, a council has to rule in majority favor to let you train. Valara could count on one hand the number of times a woman had been allowed and she didn’t have much hope for me. I guess she was right, the council voted overwhelmingly against me. Something about how my head wasn’t in the right place and I wasn’t fit to serve.” The girl sighs, wringing her hands together as she looks toward the horizon again. “But the more time I spent with Valara’s grandmother, I realized that I was more hellbent on revenge than actually healing. If they had let me train and fight, I probably would’ve been killed.”

“Do you still want to? Learn to fight, I mean,” Din asks, watching as her head turns to face him again. After a beat of silence, she nods.

“I’m better than I was before,” she murmurs, “I know my head still isn’t in the right place but I don’t care about revenge anymore. I just want Castin back.”

A wave of emotions hit him. Emotions he hadn’t felt since that day he watched Grogu go off with the Jedi. It had been the same words Din had said to Gideon, he didn’t care about power or money, he just wanted Grogu back safely. Nothing mattered more to him at that moment, just that Grogu was in his arms and away from the fist of the Empire.

“You going to teach me, Mando?” She teases, obvious in her tone that she’s not serious.

“I could,” Din breathes, watching as her eyes widen. She may have not been serious about the offer, but if they were going to be searching for her son, she was better off knowing a few things to protect herself.

“You’d do that?” She clarifies, still unsure if his offer is real.

“It’s safer for you to know how to protect yourself. I could teach you a few things in self-defense. I’m surprised they didn’t teach you anything on Puvo.” Din says, looking up as she bites her lip.

“Puvo is about tradition. Men fight so the women don’t have to.” She reminds him and he hums at her statement. “Not to mention they never expected me to leave. Here I am, systems away,” she laughs, and Din chuckles too.

“I’ll take the first shift,” Din tells her. She nods, pulling the poncho over her shoulders as she lays her head against her pack. He watches as she turns over, facing the illuminated city.

“Mando?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

Din hums, smiling underneath the helmet as he fiddles with the vibroblade, continuing to sharpen the stick in his hand. He would need to make two so that he’d be ready to teach her first round of self-defense by morning. He tries brushing off the feeling that manifests from her words.

“Get up.”

Din wakes up to a voice that does not belong to the girl. When his eyes open behind the helmet, the barrel of a weapon stares right back at him. Not moving, he eyes the camp and sees that the girl sits defeated, hands cuffed in front of her.

“I said get up Mandalorian! What are you, deaf?” The voice demands again. Looking past the barrel, he stares at a Devaronian. His face contorted in clear anger, a snarl on his lips just barely hiding the sharpened teeth.

Slowly, Din sits up from his position and with the shove of the barrel, he stands. Raising his hands, he watches as the Devaronian’s partner, another Devaronian, lifts the girl up by her cuffs, growling at her to stand. Din can see the swelling just below her eye, hinting that there had been a scuffle before he had been woken up.

He chastises himself, knowing he should’ve taken the last shift instead of the first. Or maybe he should’ve taken both, in order to protect the girl better. And how could he have slept while she struggled? Din curses himself as his hands are placed in front of him and cuffed.

“Quite the loot, ain’t it, Zek?” The Devaronian behind him says, chuckling to himself.

“Ah well, we still have to decide what to do with them, Vroth.” Zek huffs, rolling his eyes. His yellow eyes turn gleeful as the girl continues to struggle in his grip and Din sneers as Zek sniffs at her hair.

“Keep your hands off her.” Din demands, stepping forward. He’s stopped by Vroth, his blaster jamming into his lower back just underneath his armor.

“Ah, ah, I make the demands here, Mandalorian. You’re the one in cuffs.” Vroth smirks, “You’re the only one of value here, beskar is still of some worth on the market. The girl is just an added bonus.”

“We’re not here to cause trouble—” The girl says, interrupted by a blaster butting against her face. The thump of her hitting the ground angers Din, but he knows that he has no control here. Not at the moment at least.

“Don’t make me hurt your pretty face again,” Zek snaps, pulling the girl up again. The daze in her eyes is clear as she leans against the Devaronian for balance. Zek seems to appreciate it as he holds her, taking another sniff of her hair. “She smells so good, Vroth. I should keep her to myself.” He licks his lips, smirking when Din tenses.

“Just a moment,” Vroth spits out, focusing his attention on Din. They care more about his armor and the credits it will bring them.

“You won’t find anyone willing to buy my armor.” Din says, “Orus has their own resources, they’ll overlook your highly-priced beskar and look the other way.”

Both Zek and Vroth seem to pause as the statement, looking to each other for their next move. Din takes the time to study the girl again, watching her as she sways. She’s too out of it to contribute to the fight, but now, more than ever she needs to see a doctor. He’ll have to take the Devaronians on alone.

Their strength is the one thing they have against him, as well as the cuffs around his wrists. Looking around the camp, they haven’t ransacked his weapons yet or found the girl's credits. Good, he thinks, they’re too tied up in the armor to survey who they’re actually going against. They knew he was a Mandalorian, but Din’s more than aware now that not all those who wear the armor are actual Mandalorians.

“I’ll take the girl!” The arguing takes Din out of his thoughts and he watches as the two snap at each other, Zek pulling the girl close to him once again. Vroth marches over, removing his blaster from underneath Din’s armor, presumably to argue with his partner over who will take the girl. Din has to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

Catching a glimpse of her behind the mass of Zek, Din notices the blood crusted on her forehead, just within her hairline from where the blaster broke the skin. He seethes with anger at the thought of them hurting her. The dazed look in her eyes only tells him that he needs to act now.

The cuffs hang loose around his wrists, clearly meant for a creature of a bigger size. With the two Devaronians distracted by the girl, he slips his wrists out of them. The blaster at his hip is gone, probably confiscated while he was still asleep. The beskar spear had been left on the ship, leaving Din with the one weapon he refused to use. The dark saber.

Wrapping his fingers around the hilt of the weapon, he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Treat it like any other sword, he reminds himself. Save her and deal with the two mercenaries.

The ignition of the saber startles both Devaronians and the girl. Zek and Vroth’s faces turn into snarls, lips turning up as they bare their teeth at the threat. Din breathes out and moves first, swinging the saber up as Zek fires his blaster. The shot ricochets off the humming blade, burning a hole in Zek’s forehead, right between his horns. The thud of Zek hitting the ground fills Din with a certain satisfaction from a deep part inside himself. He suppresses the feeling and breathes out again, ready for the next move.

“Stop! Or I’ll shoot her!” Vroth demands. His hand quivers, the blaster wavering against the girl’s temple. Din stares at the girl as she looks up at him.

“I just killed your friend with his own blaster fire. Do you really want to try it out yourself?” Din asks, almost breathless with the adrenaline running through him. The saber hums at his side, awaiting the next move. Din still waits for a response from the Devaronian, the realization hitting Vroth that there’s no way out from this situation.

Din could choose to let him live, but that could lead to word getting out that he wielded the dark saber. It would send Bo-Katan into a frenzy trying to find him, believing him ready to fight for the saber simply because he used it.

“You bitch!” Vroth snarls and Din watches as the girl falls out of the way of the angry Devaronian, giving Din the opportunity. Vroth brings the blaster up, finger hovering over the trigger just as the blade slashes through the barrel.

In shock, Vroth stumbles back, tossing away the smoking blaster and reaching around for another. His scream pierces the air as he falls back into the canyon, a resounding thud echoing off the walls.

For a moment, Din stares in stunned silence. The saber recedes back into the hilt and Din clips it back to his belt, focusing his attention now on the girl.  

She’s sitting up in the sand, trying to remove the cuffs herself. Her breathing is shallow and the glaze over her eyes tells him that she’s panicking, in overdrive to get herself out of harm’s way.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he tells her, gently reaching out with his hand to ground her. “Let me take those off, okay?” He says. She offers her wrists to him and he carefully slides the cuffs off, tossing them aside.

“I’m sorry,” she says, “If I had just—”

“No, no, it’s fine. We handled it. It’s over. Just breathe. Can I take a look at your head? He hit you pretty hard,” He asks, watching as she winces and then nods. Her shock and adrenaline are wearing off, leaving her to feel the effects of her wounds.

Taking a gloved hand, Din cups her face, turning her face so that he can get a better look at the cut. It’s not deep, a simple bacta patch will repair the skin. The bruise under her eyes is another problem, it’s already swelling and he doesn’t have much to work with to stem the swelling.

Her hand swipes at her mouth, leaving a streak of blood behind on both her hand and the corner of her lips. It’s not her own.

“You bit him?” He asks, not sure if he should laugh.

“I did,” she murmurs, the usual glint in her eyes returning as she looks at him. “Didn’t taste very good.”

Din chuckles and sits back, reaching into his pack and pulling out a canteen of water for her to rinse her mouth and to wash away the crusted blood on her forehead. With the edge of his cape, he wipes the blood off as she spits the water out next to her.

“Should start that training soon,” Din mumbles, placing the bacta patch against her skin.

“You think?” she smirks and although she can’t see it, Din smiles underneath the helmet.

Read Chapter Seven - The Diagnosis here!

[askmerriauthor]

Jedi: Fallen Order thoughts 2/?

Discussion on "Star Wars - Jedi: Fallen Order". First post here, spoilers and lengthy rambling after the jump.

Honestly, I love this box art so much purely for the facts that 1) I made sure to remove that poncho the instant I could because the game's cloth dynamic rendering had it flailing about wildly as if it were trying to attack the universe through sheer defiance of physics in every cutscene. And 2) see that alien dude on the left with a pistol? In-game, he's an utter coward who never once participates in anything remotely resembling violence and sure as hell never wields a gun. It just reminds me of how Kirby is always given angry eyebrows in the US because marketing people are fucking stupid and think players won't be drawn to the game with an abjectly cute mascot.

So! The story.

As mentioned in my previous post, "Fallen Order" basically wants to tell a Found Family tale about a ragtag group of remnants who leave behind their previous lives and forge a new future together. We have our main character Cal Kestis; a former Padawan who survived Order 66 and has been in hiding for a handful of years. Cere Junda; a former Jedi who's cut herself off from The Force, Greez Dritus; a gambling addict pilot with a troubled past he's trying to leave behind, and BD-1; an annoyingly named but utterly lovable Droid who is far and away the best character in the entire damn game. There's also Nightsister Merrin; the presumably last survivor of the Nightsisters and potentially Cal's love interest, but she basically only shows up in the last 10 minutes of the game and doesn't get a lot of screentime despite being presented as a major part of the cast.

The game takes place a handful of years after the purge of the Jedi in Order 66, where both Cal and Cere's core character thrust is tied into. Cal was a child who survived only due to his master sacrificing his life to save him and has been wracked with guilt and PTSD ever since. Cere, on the other hand, unintentionally abandoned her own Padawan and other younglings, directly leading to their death, corruption by the Dark Side, and almost falling to the Dark Side herself. The bulk of the narrative throughout the game is dealing with the relationship these two have with one another, coming to terms with their own trauma, and moving forward from there. Meanwhile, the overall plot itself focuses around finding a Holocron that has a map and list of Force-sensitive children throughout the galaxy, which the gang can use to rebuild the Jedi Order while also keeping it - and thus the children - out of The Empire's hands. The whole series of events culminates in a big showdown between Cere's former Padawan whom she abandoned and became corrupted into an Inquisitor, Cal contending with his own guilt, and the decision on whether or not the gang has the right to interfere with the Force-sensitive children's lives and potentially put them in danger if another purge were to occur.

On paper, it's a solid enough story. The actual execution leaves something to be desired.

Something I absolutely hate in games (which has become frustratingly abundant in recent years) is the illusion of choice. If a player is presented with choosing A, B, or C, that decision should matter. Which path is taken should have impact, consequence, and change the course of the story. If all three routes converge back together at the same outcome regardless of what you picked, then your choice never mattered at all. "Fallen Order' suffers from this. There are fairly sporadic points in the game where you're given the option to choose how Cal will reply to a given conversation, or whether or not to take a certain action, but it doesn't matter at all. The conversation's outcome nor the overall story isn't affected by your choice (or even if you bother to have the conversation at all), and the any time you try to do something other than what the game wants you to do, it'll just reset itself endlessly until you cooperate. You have no choice in the matter, but the game makes it appear as if you do to emulate your involvement.

I absolutely hate this in games. If a game presents you with choices, then your choices should have consequences. Your input should matter. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a linear, plot-driven game where the player has no direct input on the narrative. If anything, that gives the story even greater opportunities to shine because it allows the writers and directors to be in full control of the presentation, characterization, and story.

At the risk of sounding like a cranky old man, this is very much a "back in my day!" sort of situation where older games wouldn't shy away from simply locking a player out of content if they chose a certain path. If you pick A, you don't get to see what happens down B or C. If you want to join the Jets, you don't get to join the Sharks. If you want to see what lies down those other routes, then replay the game and make different decisions. Sometimes it was a specific design choice, other times it was a way to handle hardware/programming restrictions. But there's a big notion these days in particular where there's a desire to make sure the player sees all the game's content up front. I anecdotally chalk it up to an increase in non-gamers entering into video game development at management level and making design decisions they're not qualified for, but that's just my own take. Like, I understand the thought process behind it. "We have all this content, so we want to make it a selling point and ensure the player gets to see all of it! If they play our game and miss a bunch of stuff, they might bitch at us and cause reviews". I get it, I do. But it's also bullshit because it directly harms the final product. If a game is good, players will replay it ad nauseum for ages beyond release. So they're going to see all the content one way or another. When the "we have to let the player access all content up front" mind set is in effect, it means the player's choices ultimately don't matter and the resulting abundance of content is quantity rather than quality.

In the case of "Fallen Order", your choices don't matter one bit and it's not even out of a case of accessing content. For some reason the developers put in this vestigial, pointless façade of a dialogue tree and choice system when the game frankly would've been far stronger if it had just been left out entirely. Developers have to invest one way or another. Either make it a fully narrative-driven game and tell a solid story, or make it a player-driven game and put in the effort to make the player's choices matter. Especially in a Star Wars game, as RPGs in this franchise have historically have Light/Dark Side choices, character deaths, and alternate endings based on your decisions. A big part of "Fallen Order"'s story is characters contending with the risk of falling to the Dark Side because of their trauma, but the game itself never actually gives the player any chance to explore that at all. It's a huge missed opportunity either way.

I think that's where a lot of the story's trouble comes from in the end. It's a lot of build up on a good idea that fizzles out and goes nowhere. Cal spends the entire game getting to a point where he's ready to move on, and then the game ends. Cere comes to terms with her past mistakes and tries to redeem her fallen Padawan, only for said fallen Padawan to be killed abruptly and completely cut off that entire story thread. Greez's past coming back to haunt him is shoe-horned in randomly and never goes anywhere. Merrin doesn't have enough time on screen to matter. There are three major villains throughout the game who are just cast aside casually and with no lingering impact for ever having been there. The biggest final boss, who has been the core antagonist and a major point of emotional conflict for the entire game, is discarded with no resolution because this is a Star Wars game and we just can't have one that doesn't feature Darth Vader sweeping in to steal the spotlight.

It's just... ugh. There's potential here. There's obvious, glowing moments of potential where things could've been developed into something really impressive if they were just given the opportunity. It feels like a huge waste and the end result is just a "meh" game that doesn't go anywhere, doesn't contribute to the setting, and could very easily be dismissed entirely from the franchise with absolutely no impact.

[cl-01-kestis]

My Little Rebel - Inquisitor!Cal Kestis x Female Rebel!Reader | Part 2

Summary: Reader finds herself tangled to Cal the Inquisitor by an accidental force bond that was created during their first meeting. Cal is on her tail everywhere she goes and she has no choice but to put up with it.

Warnings: None

It had been a whole month since you met Cal the Inquisitor, you were now far away as possible from Kashyyyk and you planned on keeping it that way for a long time. There were a lot of things about that planet that creeped you out, but nothing was more bone-chilling than the night you met Cal.

You found out from a few of your former colleagues that he was the newest addition to the Inquisitors, the Eleventh brother - Cal Kestis. You said his name countless times in your head, sometimes when you were on your own you’d say it out loud just to test how it sounded on your tongue. In your head, you replayed the night you met him everyday since it happened and it was giving you sleepless nights and tiresome days. You hated to admit it, but you wanted to see him again. There was something so terrifying yet fascinating about him, you swear you were going to die that night, if it weren’t for the fact Cal liked you enough to spare your life. But then again, any other Inquisitor would never do what he did, not in a million years. If it were another inquisitor, you would be dead the moment you stepped foot into the forest.

Your Rebel friends noticed the difference in your attitude the more days that went by that you had met Cal. You started looking almost dead-like from the lack of sleep, you hardly had anything to eat but when you did it was mostly at dinner. Occasionally you’d be spotted early morning in the cafeteria eating some bacon and eggs. But aside from that, you never ate during the day. Your loss of apetite was caused by the thoughts racing through your mind, as was everything else that changed about you.

After a long month of working your ass off in a Rebel base on Yavin 4, you finally got some time off from work and fixing x-wings. You spent your first few days locked up in your room, doing nothing but sleeping and occasionally going out to the cantina. A few of your friends visited your quarters and hung around for hours, sometimes staying overnight and getting drunk with you to have a laugh. Other than that, your break from work has been pretty calm so far and not much has happened.

That was until today.

You woke up late as usual, going to your refresher and getting changed into some black sweatpants, a T-shirt and dark green cardigan. Your hair was messy and you ruffled it with your wet towel as you exited your refresher, only to freeze in your spot after sensing that something was off about your room. You walked out, looking around every corner and crook of your room before sitting down on your bed, unnerved as the silence of your room made you feel slightly in danger. As if someone was watching you.

You were no force sensitive, but it didn’t take a force sensitive to acknowledge the fact that there was something definitely wrong going on. You checked everything in your room, making sure everything was how it should be and constantly looking out your window to see if anyone was there. It was obvious something wasn’t right, you grew frustrated over it and ended up leaving your room shortly after to get some air. You shoved on some sneakers and took a blaster with you just in case you got yourself into some trouble whilst you were outside.

On your way there you greeted many other rebels and said hello to your friends, making sure all of them were alright in case any of them had sensed anything wrong - it seemed like it was only you. You tried shaking off the weight sinking into your heart the closer you got to the exit of the Rebel base. Your feet sped up, you checked behind you to see if anyone was following you - no one. A few mechanics smiled and waved at you as you passed them, waving back but not as happy as you intended. You blamed it on your worry at the fact that you were running away from possibly nothing.

Your eyes scanned the outside area around you, your breaths coming out as short and raspy as you whipped your head around and looked in all possible directions. The weight in your chest was growing heavier, you tried walking one way, only to realise the weight in your chest was in fact pulling you somewhere. You were scared to even walk the way you were supposed to, legs shaking as you approached an x-wing ship in the distance - the ship that belonged to you. You looked around cautiously to see if anyone was around and watching you, gulping down the lump growing in your throat the moment you finally approached your x-wing and pressed a hand firmly against the lower left wing as some form of protection. You ducked underneath the wing, approaching the edge of the Yavin 4 forest that surrounded the Jedi temple and rebel base you were all hiding in.

With one quick glance behind you, you looked back at the forest; only to stumble back and land on your backside harshly once your eyes landed on a menacingly familiar Inquisitor.

Cal was here, right in front of you. You realised how dangerous this would make the situation, you unknowingly just exposed the location of the rebel base but for some reason Cal didn’t look as though he was going to attack. No, he wasn’t here for that, he was here for you.

“Hey Gorgeous” Cal smiled, crouching down and holding out a hand to you in a kind manner, his bright auburn hair falling in front of his yellow eyes which glistened the moment they linked with yours. You shivered, your eyes looking away as you took his hand and he lifted you up fairly quick, making you almost fall forward and accidentally into him as you tried regaining your balance. Instead of pulling you away, Cal wrapped his arms around you and held you close like a teddy bear.

“Miss me that much? I’m flattered” Cal smirked, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear and his smirk growing wider when he saw how flushed you had become. You pushed away from him suddenly, clearing your throat and immediately checking behind you to see if anyone saw him.

“Relax, I’m blending in... think I’m doing a good job?” Cal asked in a humorous tone, spinning around to show off his outfit which consisted of a green toned poncho, brown combats and black boots. Underneath the poncho was a black polo neck. You couldn’t help but feel a tinge of a smile creep up on you, causing you to purse your lips quickly in an attempt to diminish it.

“It’s... alright for an attempt, where did you get it?” You were scared to ask but couldn’t help it, you were sure Nur didn’t have those type of clothes and you sure as hell the Fortress Inquisitorius didn’t have any clothes like that.

“Stole them” Cal said simply, stretching his back by twisting his torso slightly and causing you to cringe when a small crack was heard.

“You sure you didn’t kill someone and then steal their clothes?” You joked at first, but Cal didn’t laugh. You went dead silent and your face went still.

“Nah i’m just messing with you” Cal broke into a smile and for some reason you felt as though your heart was in your throat, chest flushed with sudden warmth as you watched the Inquisitor smile.

“That’s not funny” You shook your head and playfully shoved Cal, surprised at yourself with how comfortable you were within a matter of seconds.

“Well you’re no fun” Cal rolled his eyes playfully ans crossed his arms, almost making you smile once again. Cal’s eyes flickered from you to your x-wing, his hand reaching up to press his palm against the lower wing behind you and smiling to himself as if he was impressed by the space craft.

“So what do you do here?” Cal asked with sincerety, feeling the metal slide across his fingertips as he trailed the along the wing and onto the body of the ship.

“I work as a mechanic and sometimes I pilot this ship as backup, you know, if there’s any unexpected Imperial sky squadron incoming and there’s not many pilots around to defend them off” You said, opening up to Cal little by little and looking back to see him with a pleased expression.

“Fascinating, how long have you been a mechanic?” He asked, eager to know more about you and leaning on the side of your ship, getting comfy and occasionally looking behind you to see if anyone was approaching or nearby.

“Almost 7 years, I think, I started working on ships when I was very young. My mother was a mechanic as well” You chuckled at the end, shrugging your shoulders and smiling at Cal who nodded.

“Your mother part of the Rebellion?” He asked.

“Before that actually, she was a mechanic for the Army of the Galactic Republic, working on clone ships and Jedi cruisers, she was pretty high up” You explained, remembering your mother’s oil stained face and grimy hands which she always used to tickle you with as a young girl.

“Pretty impressive” Cal’s voice grew quiet, looking as though he was deep in thought until he saw a few rebels pass by, ducking down into some bushes and hiding until they were out of sight.

“So you’re continuing your mother’s legacy?” Cal stood back up and dusted himself off with a flushed face. You nodded and smiled, leaning back and forth on your heels as you stood rather awkwardly.

“Yeah, I... guess I am. My mother... got caught in a ship crash and died 6 years ago, it’s a shame really” Your voice held hesitance and sorrow, lowering Cal’s mood immediately and making him frown in sympathy as your eyes looked away from his and you inhaled a shaky breath; remembering your mother’s smiling face.

“I’m sorry to hear that, I know losing someone is never easy” Cal said, empathetic as he pressed a comforting hand on your shoulder and took a step forward, cautious not to scare you as he came close.

“Have you ever lost someone?” You asked, looking back up and surprisingly melting into his touch instead of pushing away like you should’ve.

“My master... he saved my life but in exchange for his” Cal’s face shifted and you saw how much the memory effected him, his eyes became teary and you had a sudden impulse to give him a hug. But you kept your distance, raising a hand and cupping his face and tracing a thumb over his cheek as a tear left his yellow eyes.

There was a moment of silence that ripped through you and Cal, he looked up and his eyes connected to yours, and suddenly everything froze. You kept your hand cupped on his face, your thumb caught the falling tear on his cheek and you felt a flush of warmth envelop you, as if someone was hugging you tightly. Cal opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out, simply an unreadable expression all across his face as he stared at you deeply.

“Someone’s coming” Cal said suddenly, sensing them before he could see whoever was coming. You frowned, a sharp pang of pain plunged in your chest, you didn’t want him to go. You didn’t even look behind you to see who was coming, your eyes were glued to the Inquisitor in front of you and you couldn’t see to look away.

“I’ll see you later, my little Rebel, don’t miss me too much okay?” Cal pulled you close, cupping your face and pressing a firm kiss against your head before letting you go and disappearing into the deep forest full of greens and browns. You didn’t even see where he went as you felt a tap on your shoulder and turned around to see your rebel friends, smiling and asking you if you wanted to go out with them for a drink.

Only then did you start feeling morivation, Cal’s visit seemed to knock you out of your lazy state and you suddenly wanted to go out and have fun. But then again, you wished it was with him.

What’s going on with you, why are you feeling this way towards a man who makes you feel like your life is on the line every time you see him? He’s an Inquisitor, you’re a rebel, you shouldn’t be feeling anything towards him. But you couldn’t help but feel your heart quicken and face flush with blood as soon as he appeared.

He’s only seen you twice, you needed to control yourself - you thought as you joined your friends and started walking away from your x-wing, sneaking one last glance at the forest and feeling the same pain in your heart the moment he left.

[killscreencinema]

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PS4)

I feel like Star Wars is going through a bit of a renaissance, thanks largely to the efforts of Jon Favreau with The Mandalorian, a show that made us remember the wonder and awe that Star Wars used to make us feel before movies like the prequels and the new sequels replaced it with cold, hard cynicism. The Mandalorian showed how to properly tell a Star Wars story without pandering or rehashing iconic moments from previous films.

I can't help but feel like the creators of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order took inspiration from this as they put together the story for the game, because like Mandalorian, Fallen Order, if nothing else, is a testament to the richness of the Star Wars universe when in the hands of a capable storyteller.

In Fallen Order, developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by EA in 2019, you play as a Jedi Apprentice named Cal Kestiss, who has been in hiding for five years after the Jedi purge by the Empire. After using the Force to save his friend, which gives away his location to the Inquisitors, a group of Dark Jedi in service to the Empire, Cal goes on the run with a ragtag group of rebels to find a hidden treasure that may bring the Jedi Order from the brink of extinction.

The game that Fallen Order is compared to the most is Dark Souls (what game ISN'T compared to Dark Souls nowadays...), if only because of the sprawling level designs, difficult combat, and primarily having to respawn at the nearest save point after dying, with the only way to regain the experience points that you lost being to hunt down the enemy that killed you. So in those ways it's similar, but it's a lot easier than any FromSoftware game, so much so that it's more like Baby's First Dark Souls... but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I enjoy a challenge like anyone else, but it's nice to play a game where I can mostly relax, with occasional spurts of difficulty along the way.

Fallen Order also has a little bit of Uncharted and Metroid sprinkled in, or to use a more modern example, it's also like the Batman Arkham games. In fact, I would say it's more like those games than Dark Souls period. It even shares the Batman Arkham games problem of having lame ass boss fights. There's no real strategy to beating any of the bosses beyond dodging and attacking. In fact, it's when you try too hard to come up with a more complex strategy that you tend to lose to the bosses, when simple brute force is the key. It seems like a game like this, above all, would take the opportunity to have boss fights that involve clever solutions for victory, which is more inline with the Jedi code, than wailing away at your foe with unbridled ferocity, which is more like a Sith.

My biggest gripes about the game though are:

1.) The items that you find don't boost stats, or offer bonus effects, or anything. They're just cosmetic changes, which is really, really lame. I stopped getting excited whenever I found a lightsaber part when it dawned on me that it wouldn't boost my strength, speed, or Force power - it will just make my lightsaber handle look really steam punky.

2.) This is a biggie, especially for completionists - there is no way to fast travel through the map. This is an incredibly annoying quirk, especially when the game encourages exploration by placing chests, secrets, and other power-ups all over the HUGE maps. So get ready to become achingly familiar with every world and its enemies as you painstakingly explore the fuck out of them just to find a chest you missed the first time that contains a sporty poncho for Cal to wear.

Other than those complaints, the game is as solid a playthrough experience as one would expect from a Triple A title. The story, as I mentioned before, is really well done, with likeable characters that you become invested in and don't want to see anything bad happen to (even though you KNOW the fate of these characters can't be good since Cal and his crew aren't around for the movies, unless they do yet another special edition where they are added to the background). Cal experiences a flashback of the Jedi purge that really paints that moment in Revenge of the Sith in a whole new light, as we never got to experience truly how fucked up that was.

I haven't played a Star Wars game this good in awhile and would eagerly play a sequel!

[soulnottainted]

The Force Guide

// Kelsey meets someone she'd thought she would never see again //

BM0 beeped nervously as Master Kelsey Jinn Gallhea, now just Kelsey Jinn, gathered the fabric of the thick poncho that kept her warm. She stepped out of the small ship she had paid handsomely to rent from one of the vendors at the Black Spire Outpost and stepped into the marshy ground of Dagobah. The blue and white BB unit uneasily looked at the fog and murky terrain all around them, concerned for his human friend. He had always been concerned for her, ever since she had purchased him twelve years ago. BM0 was her friend, companion, and all that the blond former Jedi had. He was the only one left.

"I know it looks scary BM0, but Master Yoda said we would be safe upon our arrival here," the now 31 year old Kelsey replied.

BM0's beep sounded like a long sigh, as after a few moments later, he carefully ejected himself from the ship's droid control station, and onto the wet, grassy landscape. His human companion's lightsaber clinked gently against her leg, securely fastened to her belt. She hadn't taken it out of a locked box since the Order was given, and the Jedi were slain. Keeping her Jedi identity a secret was both easy and difficult. She could hide her weapon and robes, but her strong connection to the Force and techniques for living could give her away anytime. Luckily, nobody seemed to figure that out yet.

The long, large sand-colored poncho wasn't hers. It was long worn before, and it showed it's age, but Kelsey didn't mind that at all. It was once her father's after all. Qui-Gon Jinn, the Jedi Master who took her as his own, alongside his own padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, wore that piece of clothing on many trips to different parts of the galaxy.

Kelsey remembered when she was a youngling, she would constantly hide under it when it was worn by Jinn, who chuckled warmly and always scooped her up into his arms. She always played hide and seek with her adopted brother, who was seven years her senior.

"I don't think that is a wise hiding place, little one," Qui-Gon would say as he would keep her in his strong hold, a laugh escaping on the curves of his words.

"But you're there to protect me, Master," Kelsey replied, her eyepatch covering her left eye protested with a giggle. When she was young, she wore eyepatches to train her defective eye, but after awhile, it was utterly useless.

"Ah yes," the Maverick would nod agreeing, jokingly, "I know that your brother is quite the fiend."

Then, he smirked, raising his eyebrow, lowering his voice to a whisper, "Why don't we turn the tide this once and be the fiends ourselves for a change, hm?"

"Yes!" a tiny Kelsey replied before clinging her small arms around Qui-Gon's neck, the both of them ready to show Obi-Wan no mercy with tickling.

"Come on, let's go get him!"

When Master Jinn had died at the double-bladed saber of Darth Maul, the worlds of Obi-Wan and Kelsey were devastated. They both had to adapt to enormous change in such a short amount of time. Obi-Wan became a Jedi Master, and took on the position as such to a young Anakin Skywalker. Kelsey had been given a new Master to follow: Master Tinian Vorru. Vorru was strict to the Jedi Code, which clashed with Kelsey's upbringing by the wise maverick. It took a long time before they started to have any connection as master and padawan. Tinian Vorru, Kelsey had guessed now, had died when Order 66 was broadcasted. Tinian wasn't Qui-Gon, he wouldn't be her father, but in the end, she did form a daughterly relationship with him. He was gone now, like the others.

Along with the things that Kelsey had saved from Qui-Gon's possessions, she chose to keep his woven poncho close. She brought it everywhere she went, like one would have a baby blanket. She used it as a blanket most nights, but she wore it whenever the weather on other planets called for it.

"Come on, let's set up camp for the night," Kelsey trudged through the damp wetlands, the droid trying to not get stuck spinning like a tire would in mud, "There must be a dry place to have a fire."

On Dagobah, it was definitely cold when the sun had gone, and all there was left was marshland. With that, Kelsey rolled her arms up with the front cloth of the poncho, attempting to keep her hands warm. Night was falling quickly, and a fire was the most important thing. Kelsey still didn't know why she was there; Master Yoda only instructed her to go there on one particular date. That date was today, and still she couldn't sense any visions of what this visit would bring. All she knew, was that because it was from Master Yoda, it was important.

An hour of searching for dry wood and a stable place to set it, Kelsey ignited her green saber and lit the batch until it turned into a warm, orange flame. A tired sigh escaped her, and sat down next to the area of warmth. BM0 wanted to be right by his friend's side, but the flames would have surely melted some of his paint off, so he kept behind her, offering small droid talk for reassurance.

"I just don't know why I'm supposed to be here, 'M0," she murmured, shaking her head, "I can sense something in the Force. This planet feels like it is engulfed in it, and yet I don't know what to expect to happen here. There has to be a reason. I know Master Yoda is no fool."

The BB unit rolled forward until he gently nudged her back, like a human hand would place itself. Of course he didn't have hands...

"Maybe if I meditate, the Force will show itself."

The Jedi Order wouldn't admit it, but Kelsey was one of the most prominent Force wielders. Going off of Qui-Gon's teachings, Kelsey spent most of her time in meditative state, learning and understanding the world around her, and traversing the void of light and dark. The force didn't whisper to her, but channeled through her, nurtured her. The force was there for her when all she had was her own thoughts. It would always be there for her.

Bringing her legs to be crossed, and her hands going to rest on the tips of her knees, Kelsey closed her eyes to clear her mind. Clearly she could sense the enormous amount of the Force. It hit her like a freight train, but after the initial shock, it was like a breath of fresh air. Not even on Coruscant where the central Jedi Temple was the Force this...free. The Jedi Master's shoulders and muscles relaxed, including her jaw, as she went deeper into mediation.

The question of "Why am I here?" echoed in her mind, hoping for an answer.

She didn't expect to get one.

"I am here because you are here."

An echoing, familiar voice replied. It was deep, warm, and strengthened; it was a voice Kelsey only dreamed of hearing again. But the girl noticed that the voice wasn't in her head...It was right next to her. Then she heard BM0 exclaim in excitement behind her, which alerted her to open her eyes.

On the left side of the fire, there was a translucent blue figure, bound in light, dressed in the Jedi robes he had been buried in. He looked exactly as Kelsey remembered him, and tears immediately formed and fell down her cheeks.

"N-No," the woman's voice wavered, "This can't be. This is a vision, nothing more."

The spirit of her late adopted father shook his head, a soft smile tried to convince her otherwise, "I can assure you, little one, it isn't. You have grown up beautifully, like the woman I hoped you'd grow up to be."

The second sentence made Kelsey Jinn crack, her disbelief being washed away by the streams of her crying. She couldn't hold herself together as her small form started to tremble. The years of not getting proper time or reassurance to grieve Qui-Gon's death were unleashed before his own force ghost. The younger Jinn placed her face in her hands in attempt to hide her emotions. Years of the Order telling her to not grow attachments and not showing emotions such as love that would get in the way with missions, broke the foundation Qui-Gon had made for his two padawan children.

"M-Master Qui-Gon?" Kelsey's tone was so hopeful, but still trying to believe that he was truly there. Crying suffocated her voice, but luckily the ghost could understand.

"Yes, Kelsey. I am here." The voice started getting closer as he said that. Then, a cool feeling gently went down the back of her head. That prompted her to slowly lift her face out of her water-soaked hands, to look up. Above her stood the comforting spirit, smiling down at her, his hand going from running through Kelsey's hair, down to resting on her shoulder, "I have waited so long to reveal myself to you. I wanted to wait until I could manifest physically before telling Master Yoda to bring you to me."

"You...You're the reason Master Yoda sent me here?" she sniffled.

"Mm. I had learned the knowledge of becoming a part of the cosmic force, but in order to manifest, it took some time."

Slowly, Kelsey rose to stand, being almost two feet shorter than Qui-Gon. Her eyes studied him, looking at every facial feature she could. Thirteen years it had been since Master Jinn had died on Naboo. Thirteen years since Kelsey stood beside Obi-Wan and young Anakin watching their father traditionally burned into ash. Thirteen years since her world had come crashing down.

"I hoped I could commune with you and Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon continued, the softness of his complexion never faltering for his daughter's sake, "But it took longer than anticipated, and I am sorry for that. Please know that through the force, I have been with you every time you channel it. I know what you have been through, both of you, and none of it was easy. You, Kelsey, have blossomed into a remarkable woman. I couldn't have asked for more."

Slowly, Kelsey reached out a hand. Maybe if she could touch his shoulder-

But her hand went through. It was solid cold, causing Kelsey's hand to jerk back.

"I'm a spirit, I am no longer living," Jinn commented, and Kelsey nodded, trying to hold back tears at the fact that she couldn't hug him.

"I-I miss you," she broke down again.

A translucent hand cupped the woman's cheek, a finger straying to wipe a tear away. Qui-Gon stepped closer, so that he was right in front of his living daughter, looking down at her.

"I've missed you too...very, very much," he murmured, "And I hope that even in spirit, I can be here for you. I am so very proud of you, Kelsey."

Then, he looked down at something familiar. A warm chuckle escaped him, "Is that mine?"

"O-Oh that?" she tried to gather herself emotionally, before her cheeks turned pink, "W-Well uh....Yes. Y-Yes, it is."

Master Jinn's warm laugh made him beam, "Even when I'm gone, you have had to be wrapped in it, hm? At least it fits you a bit more now."

Kelsey smiled brightly through the tears, a laugh escaping her as well, "Yes well...It has always helped me when I needed it most."

"Not just hiding from your brother or taking a nap with it?"

"Well actually, the latter hasn't changed," she shrugged, before the spirit's laugh became even more lively.

"Yes, well, if it serves you well, I can't complain. Besides, that thing was a fashion statement on Tatooine."

"And now a blanket," Kelsey added with a yawn.

As the night went on, Qui-Gon looked after his padawan, his daughter, as if he never left the physical world. Kelsey curled up in the poncho on the ground, his spirit guarding her while she fell asleep. BM0 rolled up to the force ghost before beeping quietly a hello.

"Hello, my little blue friend," the spirit whispered back before looking back down at the girl who took his name. Kelsey Jinn Gallhea. He was proud. Oh, so proud. "I love you," he murmured into her hair before disappearing back into the wellspring that was the cosmic force.