Rekindle, Reminisce, Redeem - Chapter 1 - fancyfrey - Star Wars (2024)

Chapter Text

Luke didn’t know if it were his ‘Jedi instincts’ or his growing experience with dodging Imperial agents and bounty hunters, but he just knew something was strange about the man Wedge had brought aboard Home One.

Omega had snuck all of them bowls of soup from the mess hall, and Luke kept stirring his awkwardly as he tried to engage himself in the friendly conversations around him. Wedge’s mystery man kept cracking corny droid jokes with Echo between sips of their soup, and R2-D2 had already scanned the freckles on his cheeks twice and compared it to a star map of the Mandalore system. Luke forced the soup into his mouth, it wasn't that he didn't like it, he just didn't have the energy to eat much the past few days. Being around the rowdy and energetic companions helped improve his appetite a little, but at the same time, Luke wanted a reason to avoid meeting peoples’ eyes. R2 rattled beside him and encouraged him to eat. He snuck a glance at the man again. He didn't strike Luke as a typical Rebel fighter, certainly not a pilot; maybe a Pathfinder, what with his rugged but eclectic style. He had a chain code tattoo and wore a thick, knitted hooded poncho, embroidered onto one shoulder of his poncho was some symbol Luke didn't quite recognize, though it somewhat resembled the Rebel Starbird. At his hips he wore a set of holsters, one held a winged blaster pistol from which a green and gold charm hung, and another held a fusion cutter. On his other hip, he wore a long tube-like tool with some sort of curved arc that stretched across half the length of the tube. He had a blaster burn and an easy smile under a neatly trimmed beard, as bright as the ginger hair on his head, the wavy locks tied into a bun. The ginger man's presence was calm but the easy-going smiles probably weren't as contagious for Luke as Wedge had hoped.

“Look, it’s Kallus! Hi, Kallus!” Omega called as Tech and Kallus approached their little secluded corner of the hangar, hidden behind the bulkhead of the Marauder and under Wedge’s X-wing. The man Wedge brought aboard quickly stuffed another spoonful of soup into his mouth before shoving the bowl into Crosshair’s hands, then climbed into the X-wing’s co*ckpit, his large knitted poncho flapped behind him like a cape. He ducked down in the co*ckpit to hide from the approaching Fulcrum agent.

“Cal?” Kallus called at the mysterious man with a confused look on his face, “what are you doing here?”

Omega hid a laugh behind her hands, struggling not to slosh her soup over Crosshair’s boots.

Cal peeked over the edge of the co*ckpit, green eyes observing Kallus carefully. His companion droid, with his large twin lenses peeked over Cal’s shoulder. The hood of his poncho covered most of his head, except for a small cascade of his ginger hair.

“Hi, Kallus! Didn’t expect to see you here,” Cal greeted, dragging out that first syllable. He gave Kallus a wide wave of his arm, overextended, he recoiled his arm sharply.

“Neither did I,” Kallus said crossly, “Did you come all the way from Koboh?” Cal nodded with a slight smile.

“How’s the weather been there?” Kallus asked.

Cal’s freckles seemed to glow warmly as the droid on his shoulder nuzzled in close to his companion, “Ah, well you know Koboh, warm, humid; cloudy, but no storms. Actually, it's been nice and bright lately, when the sun melts away the fog, it paints the valleys green all the way to the horizon! You should come by sometime.”

“That’s very nice, Cal. So what exactly are you doing on Home One?” Kallus rolled his eyes.

“I thought it was obvious, I’m having lunch with Clone Force 99,” Cal smirked, and gestured to Crosshair, Echo, Omega and even Wedge and at Luke himself. Omega brought her spoon up to her mouth and quietly ate her soup. Her sharp irises switched focus between Cal and Kallus intensely.

“Why aren’t we eating in the mess hall, though?” Luke asked dully, balancing his bowl on his lap with his new hand. It still felt surreal sometimes, his new prosthetic’s synth skin lacked all the callouses and sandy rough cracks of his life on Tatooine. Sometimes his grip felt off, maybe he had to ask Lando or Tech to help recalibrate the joints.

“Is it because you’re not supposed to be on Home One, Cal?” Kallus posed sarcastically, “How did you even get aboard?”

“Oh, you were just about to tell us that,” Crosshair teased as Cal struggled out of the co*ckpit again, the droid on his shoulder whistling giddily on his back. His left arm was stiff as he climbed back down, he almost stumbled, but Wedge caught him.

“We pulled a Hosnian Widowmaker,” Wedge said with a shrug once he helped Cal to sit beside Crosshair again, “that’s where you have the mark hanging onto the outside of your starfighter in order to get past security checkpoints.”

“Any flight manoeuvre that has ‘widowmaker’ in its name should be ill-advised, especially for you, Cal,” Echo joked.

“Are you married?” Luke asked. Cal smiled bashfully at him, with a slight rose on his freckled cheeks. The droid on his back chirped like a laugh.

“I am, and she's wonderful. But the manoeuvre is perfectly safe,” Cal said as the droid on his back nodded along, “we've done it a few times before, we got it down to a science,” Cal counted on his fingers the precautions he and Wedge had in place, “Wedge hooks me in with a harness, and I've got a breathing apparatus, flight suit and warm poncho!” with a sharp hiss, he drew his left arm close to his body again, quickly holding it in place with his right hand.

“No, don't touch it,” Wedge warned as he slapped Cal's hand away.

“Did you get frostbite this time?” Tech asked, glancing at the bowls of steaming, warm soup in each of their hands, “you know you can't treat frostbite with soup.”

“It's cute to see Cal try, at least,” Crosshair said with a sly smirk as he continued sipping his meal.

Wedge and Cal looked at the bespectacled clone, slightly embarrassed.

“We were a bit delayed upon departure. We had originally planned for Home One to still be in the lower atmosphere, not… lower orbit,” Wedge explained.

Tech groaned and rubbed his temples with his fingertips, “you did get frostbite. Okay fine, I'll help you, let's go to the medbay.”

“Ah, medbay may not be advisable,” Wedge gave Tech a sideways grin before he could whisk Cal away.

“Why not?” Tech asked.

“Uh, General Syndulla can't know I'm here,” Cal sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck with his good hand. Tech only offered him a quizzical look, his curious eyes flashed from behind his goggles, darting from Cal, to Wedge, then Luke, and finally Kallus for an answer.

“Like I said so before, he's not permitted to be here, especially not while the Ghost crew are here! He’s technically not supposed to be here at all without Mon Mothma or General Dodanna knowing! That's why you resorted to using that manoeuvre in the first place, isn't it?” Kallus scolded, “what are you doing here, Cal?”

Cal gave Kallus a wide smile, “Would you believe me if I said I was invited here as a civilian consultant?—

“No.”

“Okay, but I actually was,” Cal reasoned.

“I take it it's not in any official capacity,” Kallus scoffed.

“I invited him here, Kallus,” Wedge spoke up, with his hand over his heart, “it was my call. But believe me when I say I really need him for this, trust me.” Kallus didn't seem convinced, his lips as twisted as Felucian vines.

“I’m sorry, I’m a bit lost,” Luke admitted, he looked to Wedge, “who is he again? And what is he here for?”

“I’m Cal, Cal Kestis, and this is BD-1,” Cal introduced himself and gestured to the little droid on his shoulder. The droid raised one of his feet and gave Luke a cute little wave.

“Cal was one of our intelligence agents,” Wedge presented the ginger with a flair of his arms.

“Ha! And Kallus was his handler!” Omega pointed at a fuming Kallus.

“Was?” Luke retorted suspiciously.

“My military contract expired a few years ago, so I'm mostly a stay-at-home dad these days,” Cal explained with a grin. Luke couldn’t help but feel sceptical. Cal took a slow, calm breath, “Wedge told me that you're a Jedi, but you lost your lightsaber.”

Luke felt his shoulders deflate and he thought the ruined skin at his wrist started itching again.

“But that's okay, I've brought some along for you,” Cal encouraged, “I'll let you try them out, if you like one of them, you can keep it.”

“Wait, what?” Luke stammered. R2 loudly buzzed and rattled beside him, Wedge quickly tried to hush the rambunctious droid.

“I'm an archaeologist as well, my expertise is in Jedi culture and artefacts,” Cal explained, Omega couldn't contain her laugh behind her hand and offered a muffled, ‘that's one way of putting it!’ “I've found quite a few lightsaber crystals and components on my expeditions and even have some full lightsabers in my possession,” Cal said, the long tube tool on his hip swayed as he spoke and Luke suddenly couldn't keep his eyes off it, even as Cal continued, “I know how important a lightsaber is to a Jedi, and… how important a Jedi is to the Rebellion.”

Luke felt Kallus' eyes on him.

“Fine, I realise how important this could be,” Kallus conceded, with his arms crossed over his chest he added, “treat him for his frostbite before his arm falls off.”

“I can treat him in the Marauder, less risk of getting caught that way,” Tech rolled his eyes as he escorted Cal away to another part of the hangar bay. BD-1 danced excitedly on Cal's shoulders as they went.

"So uuh, who is Cal Kestis?" Luke asked between spoonfuls of soup. "Why is Cal avoiding General Syndulla?" Wedge's eyes flitted over to Omega who had a devious smirk on her lips. Crosshair seemed very interested in his own bowl of soup.

"What's with those looks?" Luke studied their faces. "What did he do?"

Omega's lips twisted as she tried to contain a laugh. Crosshair stirred his soup in contemplation as Wedge's cheeks took on a reddish glow.

"Aaah, I think that's classified?" Wedge said. He put down his spoon and blocked his lips from Luke as he whispered to Omega, "I'm not sure we can talk about what he used to do, right?"

Crosshair shook his head in confirmation.

"Well, it's like he said before, he's an archaeologist. He used to work in intelligence for us, but I think most of that is still classified," Wedge explained.

"And he'll just loan me a lightsaber?" Luke asked sceptically.

Kallus nodded, "he's got quite a few in his collection I think," he offered nonchalantly.

"...how?" Luke felt a knot in his stomach forming and a million questions started buzzing around his head. "Ben told me a lightsaber was a Jedi Knight's weapon. How does Cal have so many he could just give one away?" Luke asked. Would it be right to just have a lightsaber handed over to him after he lost his father's? Was he even worthy to wield one after what happened?

Echo nodded endearingly, “he finds them on his expeditions. And you are a Jedi, Luke. You need a lightsaber.”

Luke chewed on his lips at Echo’s statement. He wasn't so sure it was true.

Wedge placed a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder and held him close, “I'm sure he'll explain and show you what he's got once he's treated. Look, I'm sorry you and Lando couldn't find your lightsaber, and I know whatever Cal gives you won't be the same as the one you lost; but I really hope it'll help you gain your confidence back.” Luke offered him a weak smile as thanks.

He turned towards the Marauder again just in time to catch a last glimpse of Tech and Cal disappear into the shuttle. Something about the tool hanging from his belt stood out to Luke. But he couldn't quite tell what.

Once Cal had returned to Wedge’s X-wing a few hours later, he was no longer favouring his left arm and BD-1 was cheerfully dancing upon his companion’s shoulders. Cal climbed up into the starfighter's co*ckpit and retrieved some sort of a fabric bag, and a small metal canister. Wedge and Echo cleared a table of engineering parts. Omega had prepared herself a bag of mantel mix and snacked on it, as if in anticipation for a show. Kallus peeked into the hangar occasionally while on his rounds as if to make sure Cal hadn't accidentally blown something up. R2 seemed transfixed by the long tool that swung from Cal's hip as he walked. Luke wondered if the astromech was also jealous of BD, who could ride along with Cal all day long.

Cal set the canister and bag on the table. The canister was painted with an enamel and bore the same symbol Cal wore on his shoulder. It had wings similar to the Starbird but the central spire was too thin and had a star near the base instead of at the top. Luke didn't know what it meant, but something in his heart knew it was important.

“Come over here, Luke,” Cal said as he opened the bag, inside of which were several more parcels carefully wrapped in fabric and tied with coloured leather cords. Cal gently unwrapped each parcel to reveal a full lightsaber hilt or components. Cal neatly folded each piece of the fabric wraps and placed the lightsabers on top. Luke had never seen so many lightsabers at once before. Each design was different, no single emitter or pommel were quite the same, and a wide variety of materials shone at him; different metal polish, some had pearl or even wood fittings and details, and grips ranging from leather to cloth to rubber, or stamped metal. Each one had a high sheen, in pristine condition. Each one had a glamour that Luke thought was surreal.

“Why don't you tell me a little bit about the lightsaber you lost?” Cal started once he'd finished laying everything out on the table.

“Uh, it belonged to my father,” Luke stammered.

For the first time, Cal looked directly at him with cold, serious eyes. Under that gaze, Luke thought he was being studied. BD-1 trilled quietly at his companion.

“Master Anakin Skywalker was your father?” Cal asked. Luke couldn't tell if the tone of Cal's voice was shock and surprise or something else. Carefully, Luke nodded. Cal took a breath and turned back to the lightsabers on the table.

“Did you know my father?” Luke asked carefully.

“Knew of him, yes. He was a decorated war hero, he was a beacon of hope to the Republic. Many Jedi looked up to him,” Cal said, somewhat strained, “I didn't know he had a son.”

“Wasn't in your history books, was it?” Luke teased, Cal only shook his head in response and took another moment to compose himself.

“So… your lightsaber was an heirloom lightsaber,” Cal acknowledged, his voice relaxed like he was before, “very interesting,” he said as he cast his gaze upon each of the lightsabers and lone parts he'd set out on the table.

“‘Heirloom’ lightsaber?” Luke repeated.

“A lightsaber that's passed down from one member of a lineage to the next,” the ginger archaeologist explained. Seeing the somewhat confused look on Luke’s face, he elaborated, “Lineages are almost like family lines; you said you were trained by Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and Grandmaster Yoda?” Luke took a second to remind himself that Ben’s name was Obi-Wan during the war. And maybe it was in the texts or records Cal had studied, but the word ‘Grandmaster’ in association with the small green Jedi was new to Luke. Still, he nodded to confirm.

“But… my training was incomplete,” Luke admitted, his stomach twisted slightly with regret. Ben had died before his training could even really start, but with Master Yoda, Luke had failed both of the green gremlin’s tests. And he paid dearly for it.

“That's quite alright, Luke,” Cal said brightly, “before the Purge, apprenticeships could take years to complete, and even after Knighthood there's still so much more to learn. Given all the other circ*mstances, like uh, the on-going war, I'd be more surprised if your training was complete.” He offered Luke a smile but Cal's words did nothing to ease the stitch in Luke's heart. “It's said another member of your lineage didn't complete her training either.”

“What do you mean?” Luke asked.

Cal picked up one of the lightsabers on the table and turned it upside down, “like I said, a lineage is like a family line, following a Master to Apprentice, who then becomes a Master to their own Apprentice,” Cal pointed to the pommel of the lightsaber, it consisted of polished iron metal band with a stripe of bronze and a small clip on the end.

“At the start of your lineage is Grandmaster Yoda, honestly, he's the start of many lineages, and he helped teach almost all the Younglings at the Temple too.” Cal pointed to the dark rubberised grip, “then his apprentice, the infamous Count Dooku,” Cal's finger moved down to the switch, a similar metal to the pommel with some buttons and knobs within the housing, “and his apprentice, the maverick Master Qui-Gon Jinn, to the Negotiator, Master Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Cal’s finger caught on the base of the emitter, it had asymmetrical fins, one longer than the other. “This is where your lineage splits, between the Hero with No Fear, Master Anakin Skywalker,” Cal's finger then moved to the base of the long fin, “and then to his apprentice, Lady Ahsoka Tano, I heard she left the Order before she could be knighted.” Cal said at the end of the long fin, then switched over to the short one, “but there's also the most recent member of the Hero Lineage, you,” Cal said as he offered the lightsaber to Luke.

The metal felt cold in his hands and the weight slightly awkward. Cal took a step back from Luke and with an open smile, said, “give it a shot. The ignition is the grey switch, there.”

Luke flicked the switch, a blue beam erupted from the lightsaber with a strangled cry.

“It's … such a deep blue,” he remarked. Ben’s and even his own were a bright hue, as light as the cloudless skies above Tatooine. The blade’s blue light seemed as deep as an ocean, as unfathomable and surreal as the first time Han showed him such a massive body of water. And it felt heavy. Even with Cal's instruction to try and swing it around, the balance felt off. The weight tipped too much to one side, and the blade dug into the hangar floor with a sizzling screech.

Luke turned it off and placed the lightsaber back on the table. Cal stamped out the embers on the floor as Crosshair and Omega laughed at his expense. Luke felt his frustration flare.

“So, not that one, that's okay, there's still a few more you can try,” Cal said, pulling his attention away from the spectators.

Luke looked at the table where Cal had six full sabers. Luke noticed one on the table that resembled the one he lost on Bespin and picked it up. It had a similar brushed durasteel casing with the pommel grips of black metal bars. The emitter was almost the same, with a slanted shroud and adjustable knobs surrounding the opening.

“This almost looks like the one I lost…” Luke gapped. There were minor differences, the circuit strip was narrower, and the hilt had a leather strap for a grip. There was diamond-like knurled texturing at the base of the emitter for decoration and the ignition switch was painted red. With an excited flourish, he activated the lightsaber and with a high pitched note, a blue blade sprouted from the hilt.

“I found that one on the planet Zeffo, a young Jedi buried his Master after the Purge, and he died soon after,” Cal explained solemnly, Luke could almost hear a soft whisper of ‘Marseph’ from the lightsaber, “I couldn't let it fall into the Empire's hands, and it needed some love. I cleaned it up and restored it. I think Master Skywalker made this kind of design very popular. Like I said, lots of young Jedi looked up to him.”

Luke tried waving the lightsaber around but the thought that another young Jedi who looked up to his father and had their lightsaber modelled after him made something in his stomach turn. What would Marseph think if he learned of what Anakin Skywalker had become? The blade started to grow heavy in his hands, he didn't know a beam of light could command such weight. Cal taking the hilt and making minor adjustments did nothing to help Luke keep the blade balanced.

“You're fighting the blade,” Cal eventually said with a disappointed groan.

“What?” Luke asked, pausing at the awkward swings he was making.

“Has it gotten heavier again?” Cal asked instead. Luke nodded.

Cal gestured to take the hilt from Luke and Luke offered it back with a frown.

“A lightsaber is a Jedi's life, it's a part of you, but if you're not in sync with the blade, you'll become unbalanced,” Cal tried readjusting the hilt with the knobs and with his fusion cutter. “The Force is constantly flowing through the both of you, from your heart to the lightsaber’s and back, if you feed it negative energy, anxiety, fear… it'll grow heavy.”

“I don't understand…” Luke sighed when Cal placed the hilt back in Luke's palm. He could feel Omega's eyes judging him and Wedge’s concern for his friend. Luke replaced the lightsaber on the table with a frown.

“Let's try something else, then,” Cal pointed to the small collection of lone components, “pick which parts you like.”

Luke picked up an emitter with metal decorations almost like two leaves wrapped around the opening with one hand and a sleeve with tightly wrapped leather around diamond shaped pearl inlays in the other, “What am I supposed to do with these?”

Cal plucked the pieces from Luke and a pommel from the table and set them all in front of BD-1 who joined the pieces together with his feet until they clicked in place, it looked like a mis-matched lightsaber. Luke felt sceptical it would even work. He then took the lightsaber and inserted some sort of glass contraption into a hidden compartment in the sleeve.

“Traditionally, young Jedi go on a pilgrimage to mine a special crystal, and then using the Force they forge their own lightsaber,” he ignited the lightsaber, producing a yellow blade, “It's a coming of age ritual for Jedi. Heirloom lightsabers are a bit rarer because of that,” Cal explained.

Luke realised lightsabers must have come from somewhere. Like how ships and speeders were bought from shipyards and could be modified by the pilot. Luke didn't expect the revelation that each of the lightsabers in front of him, full or in part, were made by someone as part of their journey as Jedi to hit him so hard. He felt he missed that opportunity somehow.

Other Jedi made the objects before them. Luke's eyes trailed back to the one modelled after the Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker. Someone looked up to his father and made their lightsaber like his.

“They… forged their own lightsabers?” Luke echoed breathlessly.

Cal nodded, then took one of the lightsabers from the table. With his fusion cutter, he disassembled the lightsaber to reveal the complex wiring and lenses housed within the sleeve. And within an apparatus of glass and thin metal pins was a crystal. For a brief moment Luke thought he heard music. Cal carefully plucked the crystal from the lightsaber.

“The parts, you can get from anywhere if you need to, but the kyber crystal is the heart of the lightsaber,” Cal presented a tiny crystal, sharp and jagged, with a yellowish tint to it, “they appear clear in nature. But when a Jedi attunes with a crystal for the first time is when it gains its colour. Finding the crystal that calls to them is one of the first steps on their journey as Jedi.”

“It’s yellow,” Luke gasped as he held it, “Ben’s and mine were blue.” And Darth Vader's was red… Luke quickly dashed away the thought.

“It's just a theory, but there's plenty of evidence to support it,” Cal began with a shrug, “‘a Jedi’s personality can affect the colour of the crystal’. Masters Kenobi and Skywalker were guardians, always fighting for the good of others. So theirs were blue. Grandmaster Yoda, with his wisdom and deep connection to the Force was a consular, so his was green. This crystal may have once belonged to a Jedi Shadow; cunning warriors who stamped out the Dark side where they could.”

Luke thought about what Master Yoda said to him before he went into the cave… and how the temptation of the Dark side would lead him away from his training towards his friends. The crystal suddenly grew hot on his skin, like touching a moisture evaporator that'd been under both suns all day.

Cal caught the crystal before it could drop.

“I'm sorry,” Luke stammered. He held his tongue before he could say ‘I don't think this is working’.

“No worries, perhaps your personality isn’t suited to this one after all,” Cal said as he carefully pieced the lightsaber back together, then placed it onto the table again. With an encouraging smile Cal reached for the metal canister. He opened it and Luke thought he heard music again. Inside the canister were thin phials of glass. He plucked one out and showed its contents to Luke.

“Look at these. These are crystals I’ve found on my journeys; some recovered from the black market. Some colours are rarer than others. But the unattuned ones,” Cal emptied the glass phial in Luke’s open palm, “if you listen carefully, you can hear it call for a Jedi they haven’t found yet.”

“What do you mean?” Luke said as he held the crystal to his ear, as cold and clear as ice.

“Um, how do I explain,” Cal stroked his beard in thought, “Okay, what did Master Kenobi teach you about the Force?”

Luke brightened up at the memory of Ben, his gentle kindness and wisdom, “he said that the Force penetrates us and binds us to all living things.”

“That's correct, it connects us all, and the bond between a Jedi and their lightsaber, especially so, because the crystal is also alive,” Cal explained.

“It is?” Luke couldn't really figure how that was possible. It was a rock after all.

“Your eyes can deceive you, and your preconceptions can limit you,” Cal said. He walked to the other side of the table and began emptying the glass phials onto the table, the crystals displayed in a neat arc. Cal then grabbed a folding stool from under Wedge's X-wing and placed it in front of the crystals.

“Come over here, Luke; focus, meditate, listen for the crystal song. You don't choose the crystal, it chooses you.”

“Nice rock collection, Cal!” Omega teased. Wedge rolled his eyes at her and took a handful of her mantel mix for himself.

“Do they have to be here?” Luke whined.

“There will always be distractions,” Cal stated and directed Luke to sit in front of the crystals, “Focus, and use the Force to listen to the crystals. One of them will call your name.”

Maybe he would've felt better hearing those words from Ben instead of some archaeologist. What could Cal really know of the Force? Did Luke even know anymore? Luke tried to extend himself towards one of the crystals, strained his senses to hear a song.

He felt the curious gazes of Wedge, Crosshair, Omega and Echo upon him, waiting for something interesting to happen. R2 rattled quietly beside Wedge and BD-1 whirred somewhere behind him, with Cal. Luke thought Cal's gaze was prickly and hot. Was he judging him?

“You need to relax, Luke,” Cal instructed, “one of them will call to you, just be patient.”

‘Just shut up,’ Luke whispered under his breath. He felt that stitch in his heart again, didn't Yoda warn him about acting upon his anger? Luke ran his hands through his hair and took some deep gulps of air to try and relax. But his mind wandered…

“Try to think about what your goal is in all this,” Cal quietly encouraged after a while. “When young Jedi go on their pilgrimage, it is also a trial. It can take hours or even days; to know themself and what their crystal can do to help them feel complete.”

Well Luke felt like a complete failure. He released a rasp as he tried to banish Cal's words from his mind. Cal might have studied the Jedi but Luke was one… or he thought he was. Was Luke participating in Jedi history as he attempted this? Was he worthy to participate in this legacy? What if he didn't find a crystal for a new lightsaber to replace the one he lost? Was it even right for him to replace it? What did Ben feel when he first tried this? What about his father?? Luke clenched his fists at the thought of his father…

“Omega, please fetch us some water,” Cal called after a long while, “I think Luke needs a respite.”

“I can do this!” Luke snapped.

“I know you can, you just need to get into the right frame of mind,” Cal explained, “this… takes time. Training. Meditation. Calm.”

Luke didn't have time. He'd already failed his training and the Empire was still as strong as ever. How could he be calm if Han was somewhere in the Galaxy frozen in that block of carbonite? If Chewie and Lando were out there, risking their lives looking for him? If Leia was still struggling to reassemble their forces after Hoth? And what was he doing, listening to rocks?!

“I sense you're frustrated, Luke… Let's take a break,” Cal said, “Omega, please, some drinks and more mantel mix?” With a salute, Omega left the hangar and Crosshair occupied himself with a holobook.

Luke got up from the stool and stomped over to where Wedge and R2 were sitting under his X-wing.

“Cal,” Echo called, with a disappointed look on his face. His stern eyes bore into the ginger archaeologist. Cal just crossed his arms and shook his head. BD-1 sat high on Cal's shoulders and leaned deeply close to his companion.

“Lieutenant Horn? Um, Clone Force 99 is doing a private training exercise, you're not authorised to be here,” they heard Agent Kallus call out from the other side of the Marauder.

“Wait, I think someone is calling me?”

A brunet man peeked around the bulkhead of the Marauder to find their little secluded corner of the hangar.

“Uh, hi, Corran,” Wedge greeted. Corran was one of Wedge's wingmates. Luke didn't know him quite well, but they'd gotten through some tough scrapes together.

Corran waved awkwardly at Clone Force 99, Wedge, Luke, the droids and the unfamiliar face of the civilian near the table. Kallus rounded the corner as well.

“What kind of training exercise is this?” Corran asked, seeing them all just sitting or standing around.

“One that General Syndulla can't know about,” Crosshair joked.

“Oh, okay,” Corran smirked, “Sorry, I thought I heard someone calling me?”

Curious glances were quickly exchanged between their little party, but they all turned back to Corran with apologetic frowns.

“Sorry, no one here,” Echo said.

“Wait,” Cal spoke up, “can you still hear it? Is it coming from here?” Cal gestured to the table with the lightsabers. There was a spark in Corran's eyes as he realised what was on the table.

“Luke, are these… are those—”

“Wait a minute. Is that the crystal you gave me?” Kallus was pulled towards the table and he picked up one of the clear kyber crystals. “I gave it to Kanan…”

“Yeah, well, General Syndulla didn't want it anymore, so she demanded I take it back.” Cal explained sharply.

“This is going to sound weird,” Corran interrupted, “but I think I hear that rock… calling me?”

Luke jolted up and swiftly joined Corran at the table. BD-1 buzzed excitedly at Corran, and Cal tried to calm him down.

“Really, Corran?” Luke gapped. Corran nodded carefully. Luke still couldn't hear a thing.

“Well, Kallus, give it to him, let's see,” Cal suggested. Kallus gently placed the crystal in Corran's palm who exclaimed with a quiet awe.

And then, like a seed from deep within the crystal that blossomed to its edges, it turned a bright violet.

“Ah, I'm sorry, sir! I don't know what I did!” Corran stammered as he tried to return the crystal to Cal. With a slight chuckle, Cal pushed back Corran's hand.

“That means it's yours,” Cal explained, “you have the Force, Corran. You… can be a Jedi.”

The other pilot's eyes grew wider than a pit droid's lenses. Luke could hardly believe it himself. Suddenly, confusion, frustration and now even jealousy crashed like lightning in Luke's head like the thunderous voice of Darth Vader calling him a failure.

Luke stormed away from the Marauder and Wedge's X-wing. He didn't stop when Wedge tried calling after him. Luke broke into a run, he didn't know where to go.

Luke found himself in a quiet hall on the lower decks of Home One, a calm place to watch the ships go by. What remained of the Fourth Division of the Rebel Alliance's fleet floated in open space, waiting in anticipation for an order, some of the larger ships already in position to jump to hyperspace at a moment's notice.

He watched as a group of Y-wings flew rounds about the fleet, like mynocks circling their nests. Luke wanted to fly in his X-wing again. The subtle itch in his wrist where his flesh met the cybernetic nerves reminded him why that couldn't happen yet.

He felt tears prickling at the corners of his eyes and embers burning in his throat.

“Oh, Wedge,” He sighed to himself and looked down the hallway, in the direction of the hangar and the hidden little corner behind the Marauder. Luke knew Wedge was just doing his best to help, contacting a former intelligence agent who might have some idea of what the Jedi were and what a lightsaber could possibly mean to him. That lightsaber was all he had of his father… like a shock, the painful memory of Darth Vader’s lightsaber slicing through his flesh lanced through his skull. Yoda had warned him what could happen if he were to go after his friends. He didn't want to go back to Dagobah. The thought of facing Yoda, with the failure of Bespin weighing heavy on his shoulders filled him with shame and dread. He looked out the window again, at the ships going by and the twinkling distant stars.

“Ben, please, I need some help,” Luke called quietly to the spaces between the stars. But his heart felt empty and cold as he got no response. A memory of Ben's voice bubbled up from the recesses of his mind; Darth Vader betrayed and murdered your father.

If he couldn't reach Ben, should he return to Yoda? No, there was no way Yoda couldn't have known. No wonder he didn't want to train him. Luke wasn't sure what he should do next.

He wasn't even sure if he was meant to be a Jedi anymore. If what Darth Vader said was true, maybe he shouldn't even try. Corran Horn could hear the crystals and become a Jedi, but not him? Cal Kestis kept talking at him about Jedi history and culture, but did Luke ever understand what they really were? Clone Force 99 was watching, waiting for him to do something that reminded them of the Jedi they fought alongside during the Clone Wars— and again he'd failed to live up to someone's expectations.

“Kark! What am I supposed to do?!” A pulse rang out from him and with a shock, Luke realised he cracked the window in his anger. Thin, spidering lines ran a ring in the glass, and the view to the stars outside was distorted. He took a few tentative steps back from the window, the chill of space clawed deep into his skin. Yoda had warned him these kinds of emotions led to the Dark side. No wonder Ben and Yoda didn't want to talk to him anymore. Maybe he wasn't supposed to be a Jedi after all. Maybe he never was.

“What am I supposed to be?” Luke lamented aloud. R2-D2 whistled excitedly and rolled up to the confused pilot. Luke rubbed the smooth dome of his head in gentle greeting. Then he heard the quiet, careful footsteps.

“I finally found where you ran off to,” Leia exclaimed and she approached Luke by the window. He offered her a smile but he knew it didn't reach his eyes. “I heard you were spending time with Clone Force 99.”

Luke nodded, “yeah, interesting bunch,” he scoffed.

“You spent the whole day with them, what were you doing?” Leia asked. R2 buzzed a joke about looking at Kallus' rock collection.

“I think it was a bit far-fetched, but they tried to help me learn about the Jedi,” Luke shrugged.

“Oh, they would know some Jedi, wouldn’t they?” Leia offered him a trying smile. He shook his head slightly, it didn’t quite work out the way he wanted. “I know Captain Rex and Corporal Echo served under your father, General Anakin Skywalker, right? Do you want me to ask Captain Rex to meet with you?” She offered.

Luke turned away from her and held his arms tight against himself. He didn’t know how to tell her that he didn’t want to hear about his father… who he was and what he became. It made his insides twist like snakes, their fangs carving into his flesh. The skin at his wrist itched again. The thunderous tone of that vocoded voice scrapped against the inside of his skull as he thought of what Darth Vader had told him: I am your father.

“I’m sorry, I just feel so lost,” he admitted, “I lost so much on Bespin, my lightsaber, my hand, Han…” the dreams and ideals he held of his father…

“I think I felt the same after Yavin,” Leia said quietly. “Once the excitement settled down, when you and Han and Chewbacca went off to celebrate with the other pilots I… I finally had a moment to myself. I mourned.”

“Leia…” Luke called and reached for her shoulder. He had no idea. She seemed so strong and composed on those whirlwind days.

“Everyone deals with these kinds of events differently, but, I know you're strong. You'll find a way to move forward, and if you need help, all you need to do is ask. Starting with me.” R2-D2 rumbled and beeped beside her. “And you too, R2.” She smiled at the astromech.

Luke bent down and hugged R2. And at dinner later that night, with just the three of them in Leia’s quarters, was probably the best he’d felt since Bespin.

The next day, Luke made a beeline for the hangar where the Marauder was berthed in search of Wedge’s archaeologist. The ramp was down so Luke let himself inside. Hunter and Wrecker were in the galley, making something for breakfast, BD-1 was on the counter, projecting a recipe for the larger clone. The aroma of butter and fruits filled the air. Omega, seated on a small couch with a holobook, greeted him and then gave a quick shout to Hunter to make more waffles.

Tech and Cal were also at the table with some fusion cutters and precise engineering tools. It took a second for Luke to register the piece of equipment the two were tinkering with was a cybernetic arm.

“Good morning, Captain Skywalker,” Tech called, though he didn’t look up at Luke, he was too focused on the cybernetic arm, its wiring and inner workings exposed.

“Captain?” Cal echoed as he looked up from their work for a second, “During the Clone Wars, Jedi held the rank of Commander or General.”

“The Rebellion works differently than the Republic, Commander Kestis,” Tech gave a terse reply and scolded Cal for getting distracted. Seemingly satisfied with whatever adjustments they were doing, Tech closed up the inner forearm of the prosthetic and leaned back so Cal could completely take over.

With a shock, Luke suddenly realised the cybernetic prosthetic was Cal’s. The flesh of his left arm ended just above where his elbow would have been, there was an ornate metal cuff that connected the cybernetic arm to the rest of Cal's body. The ginger archaeologist fluttered his fingers and flipped his wrist and stretched his elbow to test its flexibility and range of motion.

“If you had worn a full synth skin, you wouldn't have gotten frostbite or need maintenance so often,” Tech chastised.

“Synth skin would be useless to me, it'd just get dirty or rip. Besides, it covers up our beautiful handiwork,” Cal exclaimed.

Much like some of the lightsabers Cal had the other day, the arm was polished with a high metal sheen, with some delicate fittings of dark iron and copper. Engraved symbols of rounded squares, filled with golden piping, ringed his wrist. It was some sort of script or language Luke didn’t know. Each of the fingertips were also tipped in gold, they sparked green flames as Cal tried snapping or pressing them to his thumb.

“Oh, you’ve caught me,” Cal teased, noticing Luke’s stunned state, “I’m cheating on my arm lady with Tech.” He playfully nudged the clone, “did you hook Luke up with something?”

“I already have my hands full with Echo, Wrecker, Wolffe and you when you pull crazy stunts with Wedge!” Tech countered.

“Wanna guess how he lost it?” Omega goaded, her curious eyes gazed at him from over her holobook. Luke felt his cheeks burn, slightly embarrassed. He shrugged.

“The Empire had kidnapped the Princess of Alderaan, so I challenged Darth Vader for her safety,” Cal said, completely flat and blunt.

Luke couldn’t help as his lips twisted into an uneasy smile, “So how did you really lose it?”

“The Empire crashed one of my expeditions,” Cal said with a shrug of his shoulders, “an Imperial excavator blew out the temple and a giant piece of the wall fell on me. I was stuck there for days, my arm was crushed by a mosaic mural of the lunar cycles of each of Nanth’ri’s thirty-seven moons.”

“Nanth’ri has forty-six moons,” Crosshair corrected as he entered the galley and looked the blond pilot up and down, “what do you like with your waffles?”

“Umm… hot cocoa?” Luke tried.

“Well too bad, we don’t have that,” Crosshair gave Luke a mean smile as he went to the kitchen and stole a waffle off the top of the stack Hunter was carrying to the table. Hunter gave Luke a plate with a fork and knife and soon, Clone Force 99, plus Cal and Luke were having breakfast. They didn’t have hot cocoa, but Omega made Luke a drink with caf, some sort of spice and frothy milk instead. BD-1 eagerly scanned the different kinds of fruit and syrup combinations on everyone’s waffles. Once they finished breakfast, the two guests started cleaning up the dishes.

“Good, you've eaten, now don't forget your medicine,” Hunter reminded Cal, who started to fill the sink with water. To his dismay, Cal simply called for Crosshair who flicked three pills across the galley into Cal's mouth. Hunter dragged his hands across his face as Cal swallowed and cheered at the sniper.

“Are you here to try and find which lightsaber is best for you, again?” Cal asked as the two of them got started washing the plates.

“I think I’ve been trying to figure a lot of things out, too much at once,” Luke admitted as he passed Cal a dirty plate so he could spray it with soap and water, “But a good friend told me it’s okay to ask for help when I need it.”

“Your friend is very smart,” Cal smiled.

“And, what you said was right, I need to think about what my goal is.”

“Figuring out a goal would be a good first step, hmmm your goal… you want to become a Jedi?” Cal asked. The ginger’s voice sounded like a challenge but his eyes were soft and encouraging. The edge of his wrist where machine met flesh itched. He wondered if Cal ever felt the same, though archaeology had claimed his arm he still did it… just like how Luke still needed this.

Luke nodded. His mind was lost in a turbulent storm of uncertainty, as unnavigable as the twisting corridors of Cloud City, it almost choked him like the thick air there. But he was certain of one thing in his heart, no matter what Ben or Yoda or even Vader thought of him, “I have to become a Jedi.”

Cal let a plate and sponge sink below the soapy water and offered Luke a thoughtful smile, “What is it you think Jedi do?”

After thinking for a long while and remembering Ben’s words all those years ago, Luke finally said, “Jedi… are protectors of peace in the Galaxy. They safeguard the light by fighting evil.”

Cal’s smile widened enough that Luke saw Cal’s teeth peek between his lips. Luke tried not to shudder as Cal studied him. Cal's smile crinkled his eyes.

"Let's see how you fight, then."

Wrecker and Crosshair had cleared out a wide area in the hangar on the other side of the Marauder. The table from the previous day and any supply crates or other large equipment were shoved towards the wall, or strategically placed to block the view of the hangar from the hallway. All that was left was a bench, placed near the Marauder's landing struts. Omega had painted crude lines to act as the boundaries of a makeshift arena. Wedge and Kallus had also managed to wander into the hangar again. Kallus sat down on the Marauder's landing ramp, observing Cal's movements the whole while.

Omega watched from the ramp too, her eyes sparkled brightly in anticipation of something: To see a Jedi in action. He didn't see any remotes but Luke knew of Clone Force 99’s reputation, he wondered what kind of training exercise they had planned, which one of them would he rather spar with?

Once the ‘arena’ was cleared, Cal finally came up to Luke and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Close your eyes,” he instructed. Luke did so. “Give me your hand.” Cal commanded. With a slight frown, Luke followed Cal's instructions. Luke lifted his hand. Cal took it and positioned it so his palm was facing up. He felt Cal's gloved hand support his own from the bottom as a weight was placed in his palm. It was another lightsaber.

“This is a shoto blade,” Cal explained, “it is shorter than its partner, but faster. How does it feel?”

The grip was made of leather, soft and well-worn. In his mind's eye he saw this lightsaber's construction within shaking, frostbitten hands. He felt a whisper of a smile from it, warm enough to cut through a cold blizzard. But then a cunning hiss reached out to him and spat at him like a curse, ‘Ventress!’.

Luke wrenched his hand back, "No, I'm sorry, that doesn't feel right," Luke squinted one of his eyes open and peered at the lightsaber in Cal's hand. It had a braided, brown leather grip and a triangular D-clip and an emitter that looked like a bell of polished bronze. It had a polished silver iron component with metal knurling on one side of a switch and symbols of rounded squares engraved into its shiny surface, just like the ones on Cal's wrist, on the other. It didn't seem any shorter than the other lightsabers Cal had shown him.

"I said close your eyes," Cal chastised. Luke huffed but obeyed and bowed his head as he shut his eyes again. Cal placed a weight in his hand, but a different lightsaber this time. This one had a rubber grip, and slightly wider than the first. Actually, wider than any other lightsaber he'd held before, even more than his father's. Cal let go of his hand and let Luke feel the full weight of the lightsaber. In the coolness of space, Luke felt warm, as if strong arms had wrapped around him, not unlike when Chewie would give him a hug. A sense of endearment and reverence washed over him as he felt a memory of the crystal; an elderly man looked upon him with warm and welcoming eyes. It's an honour to meet you… the honour is mine…

"Master Eno Cordova…" Luke gasped as he felt tears well up behind his eyelids, overflowing astonishment at the praise.

"The crystal told you its name?" Cal asked. Luke nodded.

"You can open your eyes."

It was a large lightsaber, both in width and length, the largest he'd seen. Its main component, the emitter made of two large fins, was made of a polished durasteel alloy, so shiny it was immaculate and almost white, especially against the black of the textured rubber grip. The lightsaber also had two small wings of pearl and sylvian iron folded against the emitter. And most perplexing of all, it had a sleek, half-moon guard that arced from the base of the emitter to the smooth pommel. It was painted black with silver details, and words etched into the inner arc, Through Passion, Strength. Through Strength, Victory. Through Victory, Freedom. He turned it over in his hand to feel its weight. On the other side was another inscription engraved along the silver arc, Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force. Despite its size, it didn't feel so uncomfortably heavy even in Luke's off hand.

"The crystal within this lightsaber belonged to a great Jedi, Master Eno Cordova," Cal said. BD-1 whistled happily from Cal's shoulder, "BD was his travelling companion. He was an archaeologist too. Most of what I know about archaeology I learned from him."

"He seems like a nice man," Luke chimed.

"He was," Cal sighed, "let's see how you fight with it."

Luke gripped the lightsaber tight in his hands and followed Cal to the wide open space in the hangar. Wedge and Omega looked on in anticipation. Few pilots and engineers were in the hangar cleaning the carbon scoring from the starfighters. When they got to the middle of the makeshift arena, Luke ignited the blade; a bright but soft blue, lighter than his father's or Ben's. Cal took Luke’s hand and the hilt in his own, “see this knob, it’s a modulator. It can adjust the blade length to a wielder’s height, or even the intensity,” Cal explained as he turned the knob. With each twist, the white core of Eno Cordova’s blade shrunk until all that was left was a solid beam of cyan.

“Excellent,” Cal took a step back and ignited the ‘shoto’ lightsaber in his own hands; it produced a short but stunning blade that Cal adjusted until it was as long as the cyan lightsaber and solid yellow. “If you get hit by the blade like this, it would be like getting sunburnt. This is how Jedi used to spar and train together safely."

Then, Cal flourished the yellow blade and got into a ready position.

Luke quickly looked to the sidelines where Wedge and Kallus and Clone Force 99 and BD-1 were watching them in slight confusion, “Sorry, I thought I would be training with one of them.”

“I have no doubt in Hunter’s skill with a vibroblade, but vibroblade combat is quite different from lightsaber combat,” Cal mused.

“I ummm… no offence, Cal, but I don’t want to hurt you.”

Something shifted in Cal who rasped under his breath that Luke thought sounded like ‘keep your guard up’.

Luke asked what Cal meant but then—

A flash of yellow and Luke threw his cyan blade up just in time. Another blow and he felt the heat as the lightsabers crashed against each other. A downward strike and the cyan lightsaber was knocked out of Luke’s grip. Cal stepped in close and pressed the edge of the hilt to his neck, the heat of the lightsaber just brushing at his skin. Then suddenly he was flat on his back on the floor, the searing glare of Cal’s yellow beam pointed directly at his heart.

“I thought you said you wanted to become a Jedi,” Cal hissed, a stern look upon his face. He retracted the blade away from Luke's chest so the point rested by Cal's feet instead. “Get up. Pick up the lightsaber.”

With a groan, Luke got up to his feet and looked around the hangar where the lightsaber had fallen. Luke started to walk towards it.

“No, stay where you are,” Cal ordered as he stepped beside Luke and stopped him with the yellow beam held low. He had a foot forward, closer to the lightsaber, “use the Force to recall it to your hand. I know you can do it.” He said flatly.

Luke had done that before, in an ice cave with a wampa on Hoth. His life was in danger then, but in a relaxed environment he should have felt more confident attempting it.

Luke reached out with his hand and tried to recall the lightsaber to him. It didn't budge.

“Remember how it felt in your hand,” Cal instructed, “... I mean, you did feel it, right? Even with your prosthetic?” Luke rolled his eyes and tried to remember the weight and grip against his palm, the crystal song like a comforting embrace around his shoulders.

“A lightsaber is a Jedi's life, it is a part of you,” Cal reminded him, “the Force surrounds you and connects you to your weapon, always.” The lightsaber wavered on the floor as Luke pulled on it. “Take a breath, Luke.”

Luke sighed and took a deep breath and focused. He needed this to work. He thrust his hand out again and felt the energy around him surge. The lightsaber sailed into his palm, he felt the crystal sing Cordova's name in his heart.

“Good, that's good,” Cal praised, but Luke still felt cold.

He ignited the blade again and held his guard up. “You caught me off guard, it won't happen again.”

Cal responded in kind, his lightsaber held straight up in front of him in a ready stance, “it better not, because in a different circ*mstance you'd be dead.” Luke felt a spark of frustration in his heart again as Cal paced around him in measured steps.

"Did Master Obi-Wan Kenobi teach you to wield a lightsaber?" Cal asked.

"Yeah," Luke confirmed. He held the lightsaber tight in both hands.

"Show me what he taught you," Cal challenged as he took on a stance with his feet spread as wide as his shoulders and his yellow lightsaber held low. Luke swung. Cal deflected. Luke stuck again. Cal met his blade and redirected its energy. Luke stumbled back and Cal closed the distance again. Luke threw his guard up in anticipation of another take down. Cal aimed low. Luke jumped to avoid the beam. Cal swiped one foot out and knocked Luke's legs from under him— he was on his back again. Wedge looked on with caution, but Omega was enjoying herself. A few other pilots stopped their work to watch their little bout.

"Master Kenobi perfected the third form, Soresu, it's a highly defensive form," Cal said as he loomed over Luke. “He wouldn't have taught you like that.”

“He taught me how… how to deflect bolts,” Luke admitted as he struggled to get up, with his one hand already occupied with Cordova's lightsaber. He didn't want to let go of it again.

“Then who taught you lightsaber combat?” Cal posed.

“The Rebellion has remotes I train with. I'm mostly self taught,” Like admitted.

“Then show me how you think a Jedi fights,” Cal challenged.

Luke lunged and Cal caught him again, yellow on cyan, snarling fire and sparks. Cal pushed back and with his momentum, spun around— a great arc, Luke brought his blade up to defend. Luke retaliated, he couldn't get past Cal's defence. Their blades met again and again, the song of Cordova sang like stars, Cal finally started taking steps back to avoid Luke's relentless attack. Luke swung— the beam hit the floor as Cal dodged. Cal kicked him. He followed up with another swing. Luke defended. Then he struck, a star exploded between them as Cal caught the blade with his own and then slashed downwards, a burn right through his elbow and Cal followed up with another slice— from his shoulder to his opposite hip. Both slashes in less than an instant. Next thing Luke knew, he was on the floor again.

“Had this been a real duel you would have just lost your arm, or your life,” Cal sighed as he flourished his yellow blade again and paced around Luke. He had to double check his arm was still there. He’d dropped the lightsaber at some point. But his arm was still there. A sunburn. Luke knew what a sunburn was, growing up on Tatooine… that's all that really was. A bad sunburn.. "These aren't even at half intensity, accidentally putting your hand on a stove hurts more than this—"

"I know what a full lightsaber feels like when it burns through someone," Luke hissed as he stepped back from Cal and rubbed away the ache on his arm.

"So do I," Cal said quietly. Luke almost stumbled on his feet and blinked. "Seems you have a handle on the basics, at least," Cal said, almost dismissively as Luke allowed him a moment to recall the lightsaber to his hand again.

“Cal, go easy on him!” Kallus warned.

“No!” Cal snapped, “you know as well as I do, the Empire wouldn't ‘go easy’ on any of us,” Cal held the point of the yellow lightsaber to Luke's neck and urged the pilot to stand. “Get up, Luke. I will not go easy on you because I know you must be a capable duelist. I'm giving you my all because to give you anything less than what you're capable of would be disrespectful. I ask that you offer me the same courtesy,” Cal demanded.

“I can't,” Luke rasped as he got to his feet once again, his cheeks burned with an emotion he dare not name, “I’m still getting used to my hand...”

Cal took a breath and switched the yellow lightsaber from his right hand to his left, then held his right hand behind his back. “Now we're both fighting with handicaps. Or would you rather I remove my cybernetic arm?”

“Cal, too far!” Wedge called.

“No!” Cal scolded the other pilot, “this is important!” He urged Luke into a ready position again, “Being a Jedi isn't something you chose on a whim. It's not something you can just turn on or off. You need the confidence in yourself, you need commitment to the Code.” Cal stated. Luke's grip on Cordova's lightsaber tightened as the flames in his heart grew. “Do not think about what other people say to you, ‘you're born to be a Jedi’, ‘it's your destiny’ or ‘you're not worthy’, ‘you're not strong enough’, that doesn’t matter. All that matters is what you choose, what actions you take.” Yoda's mantra of ‘do or do not, there is no try’ echoed in Luke's skull.

Cal knocked the point of the yellow beam sharply against the cyan, “Show me how badly you want this.”

In an instant, Luke struck again.

Cal was on the back foot, defending against three rapid strikes.

“That's it, Luke,” Cal said, holding his ground, and retaliating. Luke recognised the first strike against him and defended, a series of three strong strikes, Luke kept his guard up.

“You're a quick study, good,” Cal praised again, “keep it up,” He pressed Luke again, had them dancing around the arena, sparks flying, lightsabers singing. Luke felt the eyes of the other pilots in the hangar on them. Wedge and Clone Force 99 were watching them intently from their seats. Kallus paced on the sidelines to keep Cal close in his sights at all times—

“Go, Luke!” Echo cheered.

“Show him, Cal!” Omega screamed.

A crack on Luke's skull. Cal's elbow blocked his view of the saber, and then the streak of yellow burned across his torso all the way from his shoulder to his hip.

“Don’t get distracted by them!” Cal called. Luke anticipated the swing—

The song of Eno Cordova clashed against a shrill cry of Asajj Ventress as Cal parried Luke’s counterattack. Two swift strikes from Cal, and a stabbing motion. Asajj’s song burned in his gut. Luke stumbled. His legs were swept out from under him once again— he tried to catch himself with the Force. He crashed onto the floor.

“Very good, Luke. Your Djem So could use a little more work though, your swings are too wide,” Cal said.

“I don't know what that means,” Luke panted as he rolled and he got up again.

“Djem So, the fifth form of lightsaber combat, highly energetic and offensive. Often preferred by apprentices of Soresu practising Masters, like Master Skywalker to Master Kenobi,” Cal explained as he waited for Luke to stand. It took all of Luke's willpower to keep his legs from trembling in front of the archeologist. Luke couldn't tell if Cal had even broken a sweat yet. “Your father was a Master of the form,” Cal stated, and added very quietly, “as is Darth Vader.”

“How do you know that?” Luke asked, a sting of shock rang in his ears.

“I told you earlier, didn't I?” Cal replied quietly with a slight shrug.

“Okay! You got him again, Cal, that's enough!” Kallus called from the sidelines. Cal shook his head.

“Before the Purge, young Jedi could participate in a Tournament to win the chance to become Apprentices. First to inflict three burns won the round,” Cal declared. He traced Luke's body with the point of the yellow lightsaber, the burns in his flesh bit him like the sun. Had this been a tournament, Cal would have won by now. “But you have yet to inflict a single burn upon me.”

“Okay, Cal, you won, that’s enough!” Kallus shouted again.

“How’s your stamina? Do you need a respite?” Cal asked calmly.

“Like you said, I have yet to score a point on you,” Luke stated with determination. Cal smiled.

“Cal, Luke, no—” Kallus called.

Omega cheered for them both, drowning out whatever protests Kallus had, “yeah! Laser sword fight!”

Luke sprung forward, Cordova's blade sung the Master's name as Luke cast a wide arc of cyan. Cal caught the blade with the dazzling yellow, the hiss of Asajj Ventress grated on his ears like cannon fire on the Millennium Falcon's shields. Cal struck forward with a flurry of blows, faster and more intense than before, Cal’s movements were following a completely different pattern. Instead of strong, decisive slashes; like Luke tried, like he’d remembered how Vader fought— the yellow lightsaber was like a rapid wind of gracefully twisting stabs and lunges. Cal’s style of fighting had completely changed.

“Watch out, Cal is fast!” Wedge warned. But Luke guessed that already. Luke felt a burn on his ankle, he couldn't afford to fall now. Cal had him on the back foot, the flurry of blows kept pushing Luke backwards by whole lengths of Cal’s arm and the yellow saber. He didn’t want to get pushed out of the ring. A dodge, then he retaliated. Cal was knocked away and Luke was given room to breathe.

“Good, Luke, you read your opponent well,” Cal complimented. Luke screamed and cast an overhead strike. Cal rolled to dodge, then recovered onto his feet with a flip. A spinning strike, Luke threw up the cyan beam to defend. Luke struck back, Cal caught the lightsaber in a reverse grip. He drove Luke towards the ground and with a wide arc drove a slash across Luke’s arm.

"Yeah! Cal! Kick his shebs!" Omega cried from the sidelines, with Wedge desperately urging her to calm down, "I've literally waited years to see this!"

"Did you really fight Darth Vader like this?" Cal taunted. Luke lunged. White flashed each time their lightsabers clashed. “Did you really survive a duel with him?” A quick flurry, Cal forced Luke's hand, a stab in his side, burning, Bespin and falling, and the blond was downed again, sweat on his brow. Luke slashed wildly, Cal dodged, the air hazy around him and closed the distance and whispered harshly into Luke’s ear, “or did he spare you because you’re his son?”

Luke was knocked onto his back again, what felt like lightning raced across his arm. His head was spinning, how did Cal know?

"Is this really all you learned from Grandmaster Yoda?" Cal called loudly, no one else had heard what he'd said.

"Don't let him get to your head, Luke," Wedge encouraged, as Luke struggled to his feet, "show him what you're made of!"

Cal rapped the point of his saber against Luke's to force him to hold his lightsaber up again, "what do you want to gain from this fight?"

"I don't know," Luke cried. Was he worthy of being a Jedi, knowing who his father was?

"I thought you wanted to become a Jedi?!" Cal countered.

“Well what do you know of the Jedi?” Luke screamed. He felt strong hands on Cordova’s lightsaber guide him, the Force surged in his veins as he attacked Cal again and again. He thought of Yoda’s trial in the cave, the emptiness in his heart when Ben wouldn’t answer him, of Darth Vader’s insistence he join him instead of becoming a Jedi. With a scream Luke struck at Cal. White flashed between them, Luke caught the base of Cal’s lightsaber. A twist and a spin, just as Vader had disarmed him, he succeeded in wrenching the yellow blade from Cal’s grip. Luke kicked Cal hard on the chest and the ginger floundered on his back; just one more strike and he’d score a point. He lunged forward, the cyan arc hurtling towards its target. Cal rolled, the lightsaber just barely grazed the back of Cal’s head, leaving nothing but a ginger bun and some strands of burnt hair in its wake. Cal was on his feet again. Luke moved to swing again—

And then the world froze, each of Luke’s limbs shuddered with the momentum that was suddenly seized. Cal’s hand was splayed just in front of the cyan blade, as if Cal had thrown an energy shield between them. No matter how hard Luke pushed the blade, it wouldn't budge, the air around it buzzed with a deafening pressure as the Force gathered at Cal's palm where the archaeologist held the cyan lightsaber in place.

“I sense anger within you,” Cal panted, “good, that drive, can you feel it? That burn in your lungs. Anger is a spark, fuel for a fire, it can grant you power,” he explained as Luke felt the heat of Cordova's crystal through the hilt. “But left unchecked that fire can consume everything,” with a pulse, Cal pushed forward and a wave erupted between them and Luke was sent hurtling backwards across the arena. Luke recovered as quickly as he could, the lightsaber held high to retaliate— but suddenly he felt a pull as if a Wookiee had grabbed him by shoulders and lifted him into the air. Helpless, he watched as Cal opened his hand and the yellow bladed hilt sailed right into Cal's waiting palm. Their eyes met. Cal still kept one hand held behind his back, and with a smirk he tossed his lightsaber into the air, tumbling above his hand in slow motion. Then Cal made a gesture like he’d slapped towards the floor, and Luke’s body followed the movement. With a shock, Luke struggled to his feet. He was still reeling from the Force swirling around him, like the Force was a river and Cal had control of its current. Luke was caught in the riptide. The Force rang in his blood a warning, Luke guarded against another yellow blow, it felt like the Force had crashed upon him like thunder. Luke faltered, nearly losing half his grip on the lightsaber. Cal leapt up again and brought the yellow beam down like a meteor, Luke just barely kept his guard up.

“Use the Force to trip him up, Luke!” Crosshair yelled. “Use the Force to push him back!” Wrecker cried. “Use the Force to pull him down,” Hunter suggested. “He's too fast, use the Force to dodge!” Omega called. ”He’s weak on his left side!” Tech offered. ”Keep fighting, Luke!” Echo encouraged.

The Force screamed inside him as Cal continued his assault, no sign of flagging.

“Focus, Luke!” Wedge yelled.

Luke felt the crystal within Cordova’s lightsaber guide him, heavy, comforting hands around his arms led his blade and maintained a defence, a cunning aura urged his strike forward. He followed through with an attack. It connected, Cal retaliated, he slashed again. Cal flipped out of the way, and in a blink of green flames he was behind him, a screeching wind like a TIE fighter. The Force sang on his right, Cal struck, Luke parried and knocked Cal a step back. Seeing his chance, Luke slashed; Cal deflected, a counterattack and Luke's defence was shattered.

Then, with both brutality and elegance, Cal twirled his wrist and sent a scorching slash down Luke's arm and sliced into his leg in a single stroke. A sweep and his other ankle received a burn. Luke crashed to the ground and with a flourish of the yellow beam, Cal knocked the cyan lightsaber from his hand, his wrist burned, he scrambled for the weapon; his only defence. Again, not quick enough. The yellow blade arced around again and Cal drove it into the floor in front of his hand, he couldn't retrieve the lightsaber. A final quick slash, fire whipped across Luke's chest and he rolled onto his back in pain.

“Stop this! Cal!” Kallus yelled.

“Can you still get up?” Cal ignored the Fulcrum, his focus solely on Luke as he struggled to his feet. He stumbled and reached for Cordova's lightsaber, but the burns in all his limbs and torso protested. Luke fell to his knees in defeat.

“I… I failed,” Luke moaned.

“Did you?” Cal gestured to one of his ribs where his poncho and shirt were singed, Luke had managed to burn the other duelist. Cal extinguished the yellow lightsaber and held out his hand, “I admire your persistence, well fought, Luke.” With a sigh, Luke took Cal's hand in his own and let the ginger pull him to his feet. His legs felt like they were burning, Luke couldn't name a part of his body where he wasn't burned. Cal caught him and supported him by his shoulder and called Wedge and BD-1 to his side. Luke leaned heavily on Wedge's shoulder.

With an excited whoop, the little droid launched a glowing green phial into Cal's hand, who then offered it to Luke. “Healing stim, it’ll help ease the pain.”

Luke took the combat medicine and jabbed it into one of his aching arms. Meanwhile, Cal recalled Cordova’s lightsaber to his hand, smooth and swift, with a practised grace that Luke clearly lacked. Then, Cal joined the two pommel ends of the lightsabers together, the yellow-bladed lightsaber retracted slightly into Cordova’s and clicked into place with a twist. Luke finally understood what the long tube tool on Cal’s hip was as the ginger archaeologist hooked it to his belt.

“You’re a Jedi?” Luke gasped.

“I guess it depends who you ask,” Cal postured. The tube-like tool, the lightsaber, Luke corrected for himself, larger than any other he'd ever seen, swung from Cal's hip as he spoke.

Luke's jaw dropped open, he should have realised it sooner. Cal knew so much about the Jedi, had their weapons and could use the Force in ways he could never have imagined. But it should have been obvious. With a heavy breath Luke fought the urge to clench his fists or throw a punch at any of them. If Cal Kestis was a Jedi, why did Ben and Yoda put such a weight on his shoulders alone? He wavered on his feet, the songs of Cal's lightsaber, names and chords he couldn't understand, Eno Cordova, Jaro Tapal, Cere Junda, Trilla Suduri, Asajj Ventress, echoed in his ears, they were all so loud. He shoved Wedge away from him, the feeling of his touch itched through his clothes.

“Are you alright?” Wedge asked, trying to hold up his friend who was shaking on his legs.

“Luke, you should go to the medbay,” Cal said.

“I can escort you,” Kallus offered.

“No,” he hissed at Kallus, “Who are you?” Luke demanded of Cal.

“I'm Cal Kestis, I am a Jedi Knight,” Cal said slowly. BD-1 peered over Cal's shoulder and gave a curious whistle.

“No, that can't—” Luke whipped his head at Wedge. “How long have you known Cal?”

“I think ummm… a little more than five years now,” Wedge shrugged.

“You've known there was another Jedi in the Rebellion and you never told me?” Luke snapped angrily, he struggled to meet the concerned eyes of everyone around him, Wedge, Omega, Kallus, Echo and Hunter and Wrecker and Crosshair, he felt the prying eyes of the other pilots in the hangar, “none of you?!”

“Luke, it wasn't Wedge's fault. There were just different circ*mstances,” Cal tried to explain.

“I don't want to hear it,” Luke yelled. He stumbled, the strong, steady arms of Wedge wrapped tight around him.

“Let’s just get you to the medbay, okay?” Wedge pleaded as he turned Luke away from Cal and Clone Force 99. He sensed Wedge shoot poisonous glances at the other pilots as they cut their way through the hangar and down the hall. “I’m sorry, this was my idea. I just wanted to help.”

“Thanks… I'm sorry…” Luke sighed as they left the curious gazes behind. Despite the burns in his arms and legs, the Force felt cold in his limbs as they walked. “Yoda said I shouldn’t feel these things,” Luke admitted, “but I just feel so angry.”

“Who are you angry at?” Wedge asked cautiously.

Luke couldn’t answer him. At Cal for hiding his status as a Jedi? For the Rebellion not telling him he wasn’t the last Jedi? At Ben and Yoda for telling him he was the last Jedi but not telling him about Vader? At Vader for cutting him down? At himself for failing Yoda’s tests or at Yoda for making him choose? At the Empire for causing all his problems in the first place? “I don’t even know anymore,” Luke bemoaned as he gripped his hair in his hand, his one hand. He felt his cybernetic hand itch as if electricity were flowing through him, meeting the fire of his flesh, “I don’t know.” That uncertainty frightened him.

“So what exactly were you doing with Clone Force 99 to get all those nasty burns?” Leia asked as the medical droid applied a bacta spray to his ankle. It stung, like a brisk wind of snow that slowly melted away, taking the itchy sunburnt skin along with it, leaving only a tender smear where the lightsaber had hit him. The room in the medbay reminded him of what Hoth smelled like; or at least the couple days he'd spent in a bacta tank on Hoth, a mix that was mostly antiseptic and very lightly like algae.

“They were trying to teach me what the Jedi fought like,” Luke said, his eyes trained on Wedge's hands instead. The other pilot sat with his chair against the wall while Leia’s was right by the bed. Wedge had rested his chin in his calloused hands. He couldn't quite lie directly to Leia's face.

“You mentioned that already,” Leia laughed softly, “Did you learn lots?”

“He learned to get his shebs kicked,” Wedge teased playfully. Luke looked down at the numerous pale patches that dotted his arms and legs where the medical droid had sprayed him. R2 whistled a comforting chime.

He kept replaying the spar in his mind. Cal had met Luke with a mastery of his lightsaber that was as much an art form as it was a fighting style. His strikes were determined and strong, almost like the intense flurry of blows Darth Vader had commanded. But then Cal changed, twice. Cal had said Master Obi-Wan Kenobi practised the second form of lightsaber combat but Master Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader practised the fifth… Luke wondered for a moment how many lightsaber forms were there, what were they, and how many did Cal know? There was so much that Cal knew and Luke was left reeling once again, why did Ben and Yoda place that weight on his shoulders when there was seemingly a better candidate right there?

Luke made a gripping motion with his hand, imagining a lightsaber in his palm. Once he was fully recovered… he'd stand a better chance against Cal. He had to, if he wanted to be a Jedi, right? His thoughts were interrupted by a slight commotion just outside their door.

“Commander Antilles? Captain Skywalker!” Omega’s voice was high and loud as she bounded into the threshold of their room, “oh, General Organa!”

“Hi, Sergeant,” the three humans turned to the clone at the door. The clone looked distraught and her lungs were heaving with the speed she used to sprint all the way from the hangar bay.

“You should come, Commander,” Omega pleaded with Wedge as she brushed some stray hair from her face, “Kestis needs your help, General Syndulla’s found out about him.”

Wedge’s face paled in an instant as he sprung from his seat and pushed past the door and ran down the hall.

“I should go,” Luke tossed his jacket on and followed after Wedge, R2 and Omega were hot on his heels.

“Did you say, ‘Kestis’?” Leia asked as she brought up the rear.

As they got closer to the hanger they could hear arguing and shouting.

“He needs to leave!” Luke heard General Syndulla shout. In the four years he’d known her, he’d never heard her raise her voice in anger like that.

“We’ve been supervising him, he was doing fine until you started yelling at him,” Hunter responded with a stern, gruff tenor. The four of them finally made it to the hangar door. Hunter was holding General Syndulla back away from Cal, who was holding onto BD-1 tightly in his arms. Cal’s whole body was stiff, except for his bright green eyes which darted between General Syndulla and Kallus and Hunter and Wedge and back.

Captain Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios, the large purple Lasat from blue squadron, had his arms crossed as he watched the mess unfold. He shot a venomous glance at Wedge who tried not to shrink under the towering pilot’s gaze.

“You knew he was here?” Zeb seethed.

“Yeah, I brought him here!” Wedge cried.

“Why would you do that?” Zeb growled, “you know how dangerous he is.” BD-1 sirened loudly in protest.

“He was fine the whole time I've been with him, maybe you're the problem,” Wedge snapped back.

General Syndulla narrowed her cunning eyes at Wedge, “Cal Kestis isn't supposed to be here!”

“I suggest we all take a breather. We are all in a high stress situation, we do not want to trigger a panic attack for Commander Kestis,” Tech proclaimed matter-of-factly. BD-1 whistled in Cal’s ear as he held the droid close.

“Isn't that why he's not allowed here? If he has an episode he would be a danger to everyone around him,” General Syndulla argued, then she turned to Kallus, “has he even been going to therapy regularly like he was supposed to?”

“General!” Kallus stammered.

“You don't have to know that,” Cal hissed.

“So you haven't!”

“That's not what I said!” Cal retaliated, then took a breath to compose himself, “you, General Syndulla, have no right to interrogate me about that! You're not my wife, my therapist, my handler, you're nowhere in my chain of command, especially now! I don't have to tell you anything that doesn't concern you!”

“It does concern me when you make one of my commanders lie to me and burn one of my pilots!” she argued.

“He didn't make me lie to you, General,” Wedge started but Luke placed a hand on his shoulder to calm down his friend.

The Twi-Lek woman ignored Wedge anyway, “you're not just dangerous, Kestis, you're unhinged!”

“Stay away from me,” Cal snapped.

“General Syndulla! Please!” Kallus cried.

“Why are you defending him?” Zeb rumbled.

“I was his handler! I’ll protect him if he’s here. He's my responsibility!”

“So why didn't you tell me he was here?” her normally green complexion was tinged with purple near her nose and eyes.

“You're not in his chain of command! As a fellow rebel commander, no, I didn't see a reason to tell you. What good would that information do for you? And as your friend? No, I knew you'd react like this.”

“Because he shouldn't be here! He's just the same as he always was!”

“That's not true—”

“If you want to know how my therapy is going so badly, you can just ask Sabine Wren!” Cal laughed coldly, “maybe she'd know how often I go to Krownest, if you let her go home once in a while!”

“Enough of this! All of you!” Leia shoved herself in between the two parties and forced them apart. “This war is hard enough without infighting— “We have a stowaway,” Zeb growled as he pointed to Cal. “We commissioned him as an independent contractor—” Omega fibbed.

“Independent contract or civilian consultant or Fulcrum, it doesn't matter, I don't want Cal Kestis on this ship!” General Syndulla expressed her disdain for the man.

“Cal Kestis?” Leia echoed as she studied the ginger Jedi. Her voice was calm but stern, her presence had softened the atmosphere of the whole hangar as she asked plainly, “what are you doing here?”

“I am here by request of Commander Antilles, ma'am. My objective is to give Captain Skywalker here a lightsaber,” Cal explained, “that's all.”

“And then he started a fight with him!” Zeb cut in, the calm shattered.

“A spar, not a fight! It was a harmless spar,” Cal defended himself, BD-1 trilled at the Lasat.

“Harmless? Did you see how many burns you gave him?” General Syndulla countered.

“We were watching the whole time, we would have stopped it before anything serious happened,” Hunter assured her.

“Um, I'm fine, thanks,” Luke chided.

Wedge frowned at him and struggled to find his words, “I'm sorry you got hurt because of me.”

“I'm okay, Wedge,” Luke assured his friend. He felt Hera's hurt gaze fall onto Wedge.

“Look, I didn't know it would take this long, okay? He was only supposed to be here for a day at most,” Wedge reasoned at the Twi-Lek General.

“Well hurry it up, I don't want him here!” she sneered.

“General Syndulla, you of all people should know how important a lightsaber is to a Jedi and how long such a process could take,” Cal spoke up, his voice shaking slightly, “And it's especially hard with Luke, without a Jedi Master to guide him like Ezra and Kanan were—”

“Don't you dare mention their names,” General Syndulla’s voice crackled like a rolling thunder, “Don’t you dare compare yourself to them! They were true Jedi, unlike you—”

“Cal, come over here, you can walk away,” Kallus put his hand on Cal's shoulder.

“General Syndulla, please,” Echo tried to get them both to back down but Luke could hardly hear them either.

“I am a Jedi. Cere Junda Knighted me—”

“Maybe she made a mistake.”

“Enough arguing, all of you! We're all adults here, aren't we?” Leia called again. Everyone snapped into ready stances with shoulders squared and legs straight at General Organa’s word, as if they suddenly remembered where they were and who was addressing them. She turned to Cal, “If what Captain Orrelios said is true, you will be reprimanded by the proper channels, not Flight Command,” then she turned to face General Syndulla, her face serene but stern, “I hear your concerns and would appreciate it if you made a formal report. Clone Force 99 may continue to supervise him in the meantime. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, General Organa,” a strong chorus rang through the hangar, but Luke could tell, from their clenched fists or rolling eyes, most of the people in front of them were not satisfied with this. Commander Hunter asked General Syndulla to leave his hangar and she did so gracefully. The other members of Clone Force 99 filed into the Marauder, Crosshair stood at the bottom of the landing ramp, waiting for Cal and BD-1.

“Come on, Alex,” Zeb called quietly to the Marauder group, though Luke didn't quite know who he was referring to.

“I'm staying with Cal tonight,” Kallus said. The ginger in question was slightly hunched over, BD-1 sitting heavily on his shoulders, as he protested Zeb’s proposal, “that was…. A lot, Cal. Are sure you're okay?”

“General Syndulla can't say anything to me I haven't already thought to myself,” Cal grumbled with his arms crossed, Kallus was clearly dissatisfied with that answer so Cal spoke up again, “I mean… I’ll holo Alrich tonight,” Cal shrugged, BD-1 tapped a comforting rhythm onto Cal's shoulder, “Go with Ghost crew. I don't want to get between you and your husband,” the ginger Jedi whispered.

“I have a responsibility to you too, Cal,” Kallus reasoned.

“Not over Zeb!” Cal replied in a harsh whisper.

“Alright, call Alrich… and call home,” Kallus instructed, “and call me if you need anything else.” Kallus gave Cal one more assuring pat on his shoulder before he also trailed out of the hangar. Cal's bright green eyes didn't leave the hangar doors where Kallus left for a while, then they fell on Luke. Luke froze.

“Sorry that you had to see all that,” Cal apologised with a heavy sigh, his green eyes sad and distant, like a lonely forest glade.

“Are you really alright, Cal Kestis?” Leia's words were concerned, but gentle. She offered a hand but when Cal gave a slight shake of his head she respectfully took a step back.

“Thank you, General, I will be. I've handled scarier things than General Syndulla before…” his eyes began to wander again.

“I believe that,” Leia teased, then after a while, “it is good to see you well.”

“It has been a while, hasn't it?” Cal’s lips twisted into a forced smile as he crossed his arms over his chest. “You've grown so much. Senator Bail Organa would be proud of you.”

“You two know each other?” Luke asked.

“Cal worked for us for a while,” Wedge reasoned.

“But I hardly got the chance to see you on the rare occasion you made it to Yavin. And they never did tell me what happened to you after Jabiim,” Leia shrugged.

“It was touch and go for a while,” Cal said, “I'm not sure we can talk about that mission.” He unfolded his arms and quickly shoved his cybernetic hand into his pocket. Leia's eyes were still focused on the intricate piece of machinery.

“Can you still play the hallikset?” Leia asked after a long while.

Cal's face brightened, the freckles on his cheeks glowed like a nebula of stars, “I do, ma'am. The next time the Rebellion commissions me, I might bring it along.”

“I'd love to hear you play again,” Leia said with a kind smile. Cal returned it, then nodded to Crosshair to bring him inside the Marauder.

Luke followed Leia and Wedge as they made their way to the mess hall for dinner.

“How do you know Cal Kestis, General?” Wedge asked once they got their food and sat at a table together.

“I was just a little kid at the time. Before the Empire showed its corruption so blatantly, before the Rebellion was even a dream for most of us…” Leia explained forlornly into her food, “it was a bit of an adventure, honestly. I was kidnapped by Bounty Hunters and the Empire had offered to retrieve me. But my father felt I'd be in danger under their care, Vader and his Inquisitors… so my father hired a mercenary to rescue me… a Jedi Master he once knew and his apprentice, Cal Kestis.” She said before she began her dinner.

Luke thought he'd choke on his own food. He was suddenly struck wondering how Cal really lost his arm.

When Luke entered the Marauder's hangar just after dinner, most of the lights were off to simulate a night cycle. The loading ramp was down again, so Luke let himself in. Wrecker told him Cal had just finished a holocall with his therapist and was in the back, meditating. But when Luke wandered through the shuttle to look for Cal, he found him at a workbench, hunched over the disassembled parts of his lightsaber with precise tools in hand.

“This is how I meditate,” Cal said without looking up at Luke. Master Cordova and Lady Asajj Ventress's crystals were lying on a neatly folded cloth on the table. BD-1 was perched near his elbow, watching the man as he worked with his large, curious lenses.

“Did you just read my mind?” Luke gasped.

“No, I don't think I have that talent. Could have prevented a lot of grief if I did…” he sighed. BD-1 gave Cal a gentle swooping note, climbed up his arm and nuzzled his head among Cal's ginger locks.

“Can other Jedi read minds?”

“Very few. Usually, I think, a Jedi can feel another person's thoughts if they concentrate,” Cal carefully set the lightsaber onto a mount on the table and turned to face Luke. “Your thoughts are very loud, you're hardly shielding at all.”

“Shielding?” Luke stammered.

“Did Master Kenobi or Grandmaster Yoda really not teach you anything other than deflecting bolts?” Cal asked, his lips twisted in a slight sneer.

“Like I said, my training was incomplete,” Luke defended himself.

“When did you start?” Cal asked.

“About three years ago, just a few days before the Battle of Yavin. But it was cut short then,” it was a whirlwind of a week, where Luke had met R2-D2, a droid who knew the old wizard hermit, Ben Kenobi from before the Empire. That was when Ben taught him about the Jedi and the Force. “Then I started again for a few weeks after we evacuated Hoth,” Yoda continued that training, but being around Cal, Luke realised how much more he was missing.

“I didn't know that,” Cal apologised, his intense green eyes softened. Luke sat down on a nearby bunk set into the wall as Cal turned his chair to face him.

“When did you start your training?” Luke asked.

“Officially?”

Luke nodded.

“Well, my Apprenticeship began when I was assigned to Master Jaro Tapal on the eve of my ninth birthday; that was just a few weeks before the First Battle of Geonosis,” Cal began, and Luke's eyes went wide. “But there's schooling before that, too. From the moment I could say my name or hold a stylus in my hand, I was taught to speak the Code and wield a lightsaber.”

“You were a Jedi even before the Dark Times?” Luke asked, and Cal nodded. “So you really did know them, Ben— I mean Obi-Wan and Yoda and, and my… my father…”

“Master Anakin Skywalker, yes. Not personally, I only met him a few times,” Cal shrugged, “but I had been studying him for quite a while now.”

“How… how did my father die?” Luke asked. Ben had lied to him and Yoda avoided it. Luke had no idea if Cal would twist the truth, but he just wanted to get answers.

“The history holobooks say he died at the end of the Clone Wars, the day the Purge happened. He fought the clones to protect the Younglings, gave his life to save them but he was outnumbered…” Cal explained solemnly. “I think I like that version better than the reality.”

“Which was?” Luke held himself tight, fought the itch where his cybernetic hand met his flesh. Cal leaned out of his chair to peek out the doorway to the rest of the Marauder. The clones were busy in the galley or the co*ckpit, oblivious to Luke and Cal's conversation.

“That he fell to the Dark side… and became Darth Vader,” Cal said very quietly, “I don't know anyone else who knows… but I think I have another piece of the puzzle now,” those green eyes bore into Luke. He didn't want to meet those serious eyes, his own wandering gaze traced the lines of Cal's face, a scar on his nose, eyebrows, a blaster burn on his cheek. Luke wondered for a moment how the archaeologist gained each one. The Jedi, Luke corrected himself…

“He was fearful he'd lose something, not just his wife but… you.”

“How do you know that?” Luke rasped under his breath, the words scraped against his throat.

“I… saw his memories,” Cal said, the syllables crawled out of his lips at a glacial pace, “and I've seen what that kind of fear can do to a Jedi… they become an entirely different person,” Cal's voice was soft as BD-1 gently squeezed the ginger Jedi's shoulder.

“Still, Ben shouldn't have lied to me,” Luke said sourly.

“I think he was protecting you.”

Luke scoffed, then leaned back until his body was pressed against the wall, his nails dug into his palm as fury simmered under his skin.

“Luke, listen to me…” Cal implored, his green eyes flashed brightly, “your father was a great Jedi, one of the best in our generation. His peers respected him and so many young Jedi looked up to him. But that information… knowing what he had become… that kind of knowledge can hurt,” Cal's voice began to waver and Luke slowly unfurled, tempted to reach out to the Jedi to comfort him. BD beat him to the chase and whirred quietly, pressing his big boxy head and body to Cal's with a whistle, “when I found out… I was devastated, it broke me.” Cal flexed his gloved hand.

Luke knew what that felt like. He let his arms drop to his sides.

“Ben was protecting me,” Luke echoed.

“… How did Master Kenobi die?” Cal asked softly.

Luke took a deep breath and remembered the days that changed his life. There was the pride of standing in front of the Rebel fleet and getting that military award, the excitement of celebrating with Wedge and Han and Chewie and Leia, he destroyed the Death Star. The tense feeling as he flew down that trench but finally feeling the Force through him to make the shot… watching Ben's last moments before they escaped that cold, deadly not-moon. Luke leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“We were trapped on the Death Star. Ben went to disable the tractor beam so our ship could escape while Han and I went to rescue Princess Leia,” Luke explained, “I saw him duelling Darth Vader. I called out to him so he could come with us and escape… Darth Vader cut him down.” Luke felt a light brush on his cheek. Cal had wiped away an errant tear.

“He… protected me,” Luke said, the words were familiar but they tasted different in that moment.

A quiet but deep breath, then Cal asked, “how did Grandmaster Yoda die?”

“He's still alive,” Luke said plainly.

Cal's eyes went wide and BD-1 gave a surprised trill.

“Why aren't you with him then?”

“Because I…” the words stuck in Luke's throat and he grabbed a handful of hair as he leaned back against the wall again. He wondered how loud his thoughts were to Cal, his memories and emotions whirled around inside his head like a storm. “I don't think he wants to train me anymore. Sometimes, I don't even know if I'm supposed to be a Jedi.”

“Of course you can be a Jedi, you're the son of Anakin Skywalker,” Cal said, “and even if you weren't, even if you don't want to be, I can tell you're strong in the Force.”

“No, I fought Vader. I lost so badly. I fought you and you knocked me on my shebs!”

“There's more to being a Jedi than just fighting Luke!” Cal scolded. They paused for a moment and caught their breaths, BD-1 trilled a soft tune for Cal as he collected himself.

“Are you going back to Grandmaster Yoda when you're fully recovered?” Cal asked.

“No, I don't think he wants to train me anymore,” repeated himself, stronger this time.

“What makes you think that?”

“Yoda gave me a choice, and I chose wrong,” Luke spat, “He gave me a test, and I failed.” He waved his cybernetic hand for good measure.

“What kind of choice?” Cal asked, his eyes sincere.

Luke took a breath to gather his thoughts and order his words. “I had a vision… that my friends were in danger. Han, Leia, Chewie. I thought they would die and I had to help them. But going to them meant I would have neglected my training…” he remembered how determined he was to go to the city in the clouds to save his friends, but how equally determined Yoda and Ben were to convince him to stay. “Yoda warned me that if I went without completing my training, I'd be taking the quick and easy path, I could be tempted by the Dark side.”

“But I couldn't let them die. So I went.

“And it was a trap.

“Vader was there… and I lost…

“I failed Yoda's test by falling to the Dark side—

Cal was suddenly up, he grabbed Luke's chin and peered into his eyes with a narrow gaze, his lips almost as thin as the scar that ran across his nose.

“What— uh, what is it?” Luke asked. BD-1 cried like a siren.

Cal let go of Luke's chin and slowly sat back down by the worktable. A few quiet beeps from BD-1, and Cal shrugged his shoulders.

“I don't think you fell to the Dark side,” Cal said.

“How can you tell?” Luke asked cynically.

“Falling to the Dark is more than just being angry one time,” Cal answered, “it's losing yourself when you become consumed by anger or hatred or sorrow or fear.”

“I don't know… I've been feeling some of those pretty strongly recently,” Luke growled.

“But you're still Luke.”

“But I made the wrong choice.”

Cal crossed his arms over his chest and gave a heavy sigh.

“I think you made the right choice,” each word was deliberate and stern.

“But if I hadn't gone, I'd still be training with Yoda,” Luke argued. “Ben would still be talking to me through the Force. I'd still have my hand and my lightsaber. I'd be on my way to become a stronger Jedi—”

“So you think power would be the answer?” Cal challenged.

“What, no, but I mean, I'd be able to help my friends more if I knew how to use the Force or wield a lightsaber!” Luke stammered.

“What good would a lightsaber do if they were already dead?” Cal's words were so cold they formed a layer of frost beneath Luke's skin, “Your friends would have died had you stayed with Grandmaster Yoda,” he announced sternly, “the Dark side feeds on your passions, your fears, your selfishness, but I fail to see how risking your life to save your friends is selfish.”

A cry strangled itself in Luke's throat, “but I… I lost so much, taking the quick and easy path. The path a Jedi wouldn't take.”

“I've known many Jedi… I think it'd be a hard choice for them too, though I think most would choose to help their friends somehow. I don't know what Grandmaster Yoda really wanted you to do, but I know that if the choice you made was the quick and easy path, the wrong choice, I'd hate to imagine what you were supposed to do? If we lost Princess Leia, morale would be crushed, we wouldn't know where you were. We would have to gather together what dwindling troops and resources we had after Hoth, without that hope, and start from the beginning again; and I know what it was like, trying to fight before the Rebel Alliance formed… I'd never want to live through that again!” Cal rasped.

“But Yoda—

“As far as I know, Grandmaster Yoda hasn't been fighting in this war like I have. And it's been anything but quick and easy,” Luke could feel the frustration pouring off of Cal. “I've been fighting for more than 20 years now, and I will continue to fight, to hold the line as long as I can… for the Cause, for my family. But kriff, Luke, I'm starting to get tired again.”

“Again?” Luke pondered. BD-1 beeped quietly.

Cal let his shoulders sad as he let loose a deep, weary breath.

“There was a time that I made the wrong choice, kept choosing wrong, choosing the fight over the people I Ioved. They begged me to slow down but I didn't. And I nearly lost everything,” Cal said, BD-1 was gently massaging Cal's shoulders, wound tight against his friend. Cal reached up and plucked the little droid from his back and cradled the little guy in his arms. He whispered an apology into the droid's chassis and continued quietly, “we lost Master Cordova and… so much more. Because I made the wrong choices.”

He sucked the air in through his teeth and let his lungs empty again in the quiet space between them.

“But those are the choices I made. I failed… I had to get back up. That is the only way to succeed.” Cal said, as if he were reciting something someone else had taught him long ago. “Learn from my mistakes, let go of what I feared to lose… keep getting back up.”

“So… what should I do?” Luke asked.

“What do you want to do?”

Luke swallowed all the doubt in his heart and spoke, “I want to continue my training as a Jedi.”

“What's stopping you?” Cal shrugged his shoulders.

“I don't have a lightsaber,” Luke whined.

Cal offered him a smirk, and tapped Luke's chest where his heart was, “you know, wielding a lightsaber isn't what makes you a Jedi.”

“Then what does?” Luke pondered.

The smile on Cal's face only grew, “we were peacekeepers and protectors, bringers of light and hope in the dark and uncertain times. We were more than just army generals, more than just hermit monks. We were explorers, scholars, ambassadors and adventurers and…” Cal gestured to himself and BD-1, “archaeologists.” He took a breath and let his shoulders relax, “Master Cordova left his lightsaber to me when he couldn’t wield it himself anymore. But even without it, he was still a Jedi. Still had that connection to the Force, a passion to learn about the world around him, still held compassion for all living things. That’s what makes someone a Jedi, not the weapon they wield.”

“But I know you need this,” Cal said, the tenor of his voice echoing deep into Luke’s bones in the small back room, “You can work towards becoming a Jedi in small steps, first you need self-confidence, the heart of your soul.” Luke took a deep breath, breathing in Cal’s words to banish the uncertainty of what being Darth Vader’s son meant from his veins.

Cal smiled, then looked over at the worktable, to the two small crystals on a folded cloth. They sang a chorus, slightly out of sync but together they made Cal’s blade. He picked up the cyan crystal and held it at the tip of his thumb and first finger, “Next, you need a crystal. That is the heart of your blade. You need to learn to open your heart to one. Tomorrow, I’ll teach you how.”

Luke returned Cal’s smile with determination.

“Let's start with the basics,” Cal greeted the next morning as he and Echo cleared a space behind the Marauder. “I need you to focus and clear your mind, then you'll be able to hear at least one of the crystals.”

He and Cal sat down on the hangar floor, Luke sat with his legs crossed but he noticed Cal was on his knees. Omega came by and placed a tea set near them. She poured the steaming hot tea, the aroma familiar because the scent reminded Luke of one of Leia's favourite blends, and handed each of the men a cup.

“Thank you, Omega,” Cal smiled, then he braced himself as he took a sip.

“So, do Jedi drink tea to help them meditate?” Luke asked, he wafted the scented steam to his nose before drinking, the warmth helped to unfurl the tangled mess inside him.

“Usually, yeah,” Cal shrugged. He set the tea down and BD-1 eagerly scanned it. R2 rolled up behind Luke and nudged him.

“You don't have a mouth to drink tea, R2!” Luke was careful not to spill.

“Cal’s favourite drink isn't tea though. He lives in a cantina, he can drink most rebels here under the table,” she winked as Cal waved her away.

“I don't live in the cantina, I live under it, thank you very much,” Cal clarified, though Luke didn't think that was much better. With a curt laugh, she soon left them to their devices. Kallus was still hovering around the Marauder, his eyes fixed on Cal. BD-1 took a seat beside Cal, his legs spread out in front of his little body.

“Anyway, let's try and meditate together,” Cal proposed, “just try to relax and let the Force flow through you. You don't have to think or concentrate on anything in particular, just be in the moment,” Cal explained as he rolled his shoulders and closed his eyes then settled into a relaxed pose. Luke tried to do the same, but he felt a block within him. He tried to mimic Cal but couldn't seem to feel the Force at all.

After a while, Luke refilled his cup and drank it down to the dregs. He felt warm inside, but that was just physically.

“Hold my hand, try to focus on me, sense my presence in the Force alongside yours,” Cal offered his organic hand but his eyes were still closed, his scarred face seemed serene. Luke reached out with his own organic hand and he felt like he was suddenly underwater.

Cool on his skin, like the chill of hyperspace, but warm where his hand met Cal's. Among the emptiness of space he could sense a cold, twisting star within Cal, like a stormy white dwarf. Beyond that, he could sense the members of Clone Force 99 and Kallus, like little flames. And within himself, an inferno—

Luke wrenched his hand away from Cal with a gasp. Cal slowly opened one eye, then the other.

“I'm sorry,” Luke heaved, his lungs aflame, “I just… it's still happening.”

“What is happening?” Cal asked gently.

“... Since Bespin I've been feeling… I'm not quite myself anymore. Not after… you know, learning that,” Luke knew he was being vague but he didn't want Kallus or anyone else knowing this new fact about Darth Vader and himself. “I feel cut off from the Force sometimes, especially when…” Luke took a breath, and another sip of tea before continuing, “I just feel so cold. I used to hear Ben talk to me, all I had to do was ask and he'd offer me guidance. But now I can't hear him anymore… and I feel so tangled up inside I can't use the Force properly—

“I think I understand, Luke,” Cal nodded and placed a gentle hand on Luke's own, “you're dealing with a lot of grief, loss. There were times in my life I felt similar.”

Luke's eyes trailed to Cal's left hand. He was wearing a glove today but Luke could still see the metallic parts of his forearm between Cal's shirt sleeve and glove.

“Like when you fought Vader and lost your arm?” Luke whispered.

Cal flexed his cybernetic fingers and sighed, “that particular conflict came at the end of a chain of other conflicts but, yes…”

“How did you get out of that fog?” Luke asked.

Cal tilted his head slightly as he thought about an answer. He looked to BD-1 who whistled quietly, a code only he and Cal understood.

“I met you and your friend, didn't I?” He asked BD-1, who buzzed and nodded excitedly. “Let's try this,” Cal reached over to his bag of lightsabers and parts and plucked out the container of crystals. He fished out the cyan crystal from its phial and placed it in Luke's hand.

“Master Cordova’s crystal reached out to you, didn't it?” Cal offered him a gentle smile, “I want you to meditate with it, try to connect to it on a deeper level. A crystal is like a Jedi’s heart, you need to open yourself up to it.”

Luke took a deep breath in and took the crystal in both his hands, resting them in his lap with a heavy exhale. “Okay, let's try.” Luke scolded himself for a moment. Do or do not, there is no try.

“Try your best,” Cal encouraged, “but I know you can do it.”

Luke closed his eyes and focused on the feeling of the crystal on his skin. His organic skin, and then surprisingly, the fairly accurate stimuli through his synth skin. Mostly smooth, with some sharp edges, cool like glass, and the slightest echo of a song. He took a deep breath and focused on that chime.

He heard rippling water and wind breezing through ancient, polished stone.

“Greetings, Jedi,” a genial, gentle voice of an older man greeted him, bouncing off the stone and echoing between his ears. Luke opened his eyes, his vision focused slowly, like waking from a dream. He looked around the large round room. It was flooded with ankle-deep water, but he was sitting on a circular stone platform that kept him dry. On the platform with him, an old man dressed in neat robes stood.

“Sorry. I'm not sure I'm a Jedi,” Luke groaned.

“A friend then,” the man smiled gently.

“You're Master Cordova,” Luke gasped.

“Or a memory of him,” Master Cordova spoke, “I entrusted my lightsaber and research to Cal Kestis. Are you his Padawan?”

Luke felt his lips twist in confusion at the new word, “what's a Padawan?”

“Sorry,” the memory of Cordova offered him a gentle look, the crow’s feet by his eyes crinkled with age-old patience and understanding, “I meant, are you his Apprentice?”

Luke shook his head, “I'm… I'm not anyone's apprentice right now,” he admitted dejectedly, “Cal said he'd just help me make a new lightsaber.”

“Cal would be something of an expert on that, wouldn't he?” Cordova said, almost laughing to himself.

Luke nodded again.

“Is that why you're here, to learn how to connect to a crystal?” Cordova's memory postured.

“Yes,” Luke stood up on the platform and tried to get a better look at the elderly Jedi. He had bright blue eyes under whispy white eyebrows, and a long white beard to match. “What is this place?”

The curved walls reminded him of an amphitheatre. One section of the wall had a large mirror, and another had a mural of three towering figures.

“This is an ancient Vault on the planet Bogano,” Master Cordova explained with an air of reverence as he stretched his arms out wide, then he carefully folded his hands and his voice took on a solemn tone, “It was here that many years ago, I meditated with a Zeffo artefact and had a great premonition; of the downfall of the Jedi Order and the Republic as we knew it, of great Darkness.”

A stitch formed in Luke's heart as he realised Master Cordova's vision came true. “I'm so sorry, Master. The way Cal and Yoda and Ben— I mean Master Kenobi— talked about it, I wish I could have seen the Jedi Order before its Fall. But I'm not anything like that. They’re great Jedi and I'm… not.”

“What makes you say that, son?” Master Cordova sighed, “I can sense you already have what it takes to be a great Jedi. Persistence and… bravery! Like my friends, Cal and BD-1.”

“But… I failed… I had a chance to set things right, to help end the war but I failed,” Luke whined, rubbing at his wrist where flesh met machine. “I feel so lost and confused but I have to get this right, make a new lightsaber and get back on track because I have so many people counting on me and I don't want to let them down.”

Master Cordova reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, it felt real. Comforting and warm, like the light of an afternoon sun through his clothes.

“Failure is not the end, it is a necessary part of the path,” Cordova imparted the words into Luke's heart. Luke felt a flame bloom in his chest. In Master Cordova's memory he witnessed a young Cal, given courage by the wise Jedi's words. “Hope will always survive in those who continue to fight, like Cal does… like I know you can, young Jedi.”

Luke found the courage in himself to smile and placed his hand upon Master Cordova's.

A blink.

One moment he was in the Vault, and in the next—

He was in the hangar again. Master Cordova's crystal floated a few inches above his open palm, before Luke truly returned to the world and it settled gently into his hand.

“You're back,” Cal spoke and Luke remembered the Jedi was right in front of him. “How was it?”

“I… I met Master Cordova,” Luke rubbed at his tired eyes.

“You did? What did he say?” Cal asked, his excitement and shock was bare, emanated through the Force. BD-1 buzzed beside Cal and sprung up onto his feet with a giddy hop.

“I think you know what he said,” Luke guessed.

“Failure is not the end,” Cal surmised. R2 wheeled around Luke, beeping patiently. He shrugged his shoulders and stretched his legs. They were a little stiff, and pins and needles flooded through his veins for a moment, he wondered how long he'd been in that trance.

“You've done well, let's take a break,” Cal offered Luke a smile. The tea had gone cold.

As Luke ate a light lunch within the Marauder’s galley with Wrecker and Kallus, he watched General Syndulla and Cal chatting away in the hangar. Each of them rolled their eyes or crossed their arms over their chest at each other. He couldn't hear what they were talking about but the interactions between them reminded Luke of the few times he saw Ben and Owen meet and chat with each other; tensions strained as they tried to remain civil. The General soon left the hangar and Luke was left wondering what kind of history they were hiding from him.

“So, why doesn't General Syndulla like Jedi?” Luke asked. Kallus choked on his lunch and Wrecker had to rap Kallus on his back to clear his throat. R2 whistled excitedly at Kallus.

“Luke, one of the General’s sons and the man she loved are Jedi,” Kallus wheezed, a little piece of dried meiloorun from his lunch whistled at the back of his throat, “Cal Kestis though… isn't your typical Jedi. Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger, the Jedi members of the Ghost crew were.”

“How do you mean?”

“Kanan and Ezra were good people.”

“...but Cal isn't?” Luke's lips twisted in confusion. Sure, Cal was harsh during their duel and a bit condescending when he didn't know how little formal training Luke actually had. But Wedge and Leia seemed to get along with him pretty well, and Luke trusted them. Luke trusted General Syndulla too, he just didn't know why she couldn't trust Cal.

“Cal Kestis is a dangerous man,” Kallus clarified.

“We all fight for the Rebel Alliance, doesn't the Empire consider us all dangerous?” Luke challenged.

“Well, the General is committed to the Cause. She's dedicated her life to the Rebellion. Cal didn't want to join at all. In fact he punched me in the face when I tried to recruit him.” Kallus picked at his lunch and popped another piece of dried fruit into his mouth.

Luke couldn't tell if he was joking. Kallus kept his face stoic and stern. No way he wasn't joking.

“He punched me and Crosshair, too,” Wrecker laughed.

Luke leaned back in his chair to peek out at Cal again. He was with Echo and Crosshair then, seeming much more relaxed with General Syndulla gone. Cal had that same easy smile as BD-1 danced on his back. He knew Crosshair was a deadly sniper and Wrecker could snap anyone like a twig. Jedi or not, he couldn’t imagine the archaeologist crossing Clone Force 99.

“You're lying,” Luke narrowed his gaze at Kallus. He was a spy, one of their intelligence agents, lying was part of his job.

“Are you familiar with Saw Gerrera’s Partisans?” Kallus asked.

“They were insurgents,” Luke said. He remembered in the early days of his childhood, sensational Holonet stories about terrorists and insurgent groups causing havoc and mayhem in the aftermath of the Clone Wars while the Empire was working towards peace and order. He wondered now how much was true, if they ever were.

Kallus nodded and blinked once, “Cal used to be one of them.”

“What, um, intelligence like he did for us?” Luke asked.

”No,” Kallus said quietly, “He was one of their leaders. It was a long time ago, and it was like he was a different person. These days, Cal would rather dig around ancient sites and archaeological ruins than fight the Empire directly,” he sighed, “but back then… the Partisans fought a lot dirtier than we ever do. Cal set a lot of fires. The Empire put a large bounty on his head. Over half a decade, the Empire sent nearly a hundred bounty hunters and even some specialised Jedi Killers after him. Cal killed each one.”

“How…” he felt the words stuck in his throat. He turned back to the hangar where Cal was chatting casually with Echo and Crosshair and struggled to imagine a battle-hardened and ruthless insurgent with freckles and orange hair. “How have I never heard of him before?”

“I don't know all the details, but he was able to fake his death and stepped away from the fight,” Kallus explained, “Cal was reported KIA on Jabiim by the Empire.” Leia said that Cal and another Jedi Master helped her on Jabiim. Luke wondered who the other Jedi was.

Then, Luke heard his name, acidic and poisonous, almost like air leaking out of a starship’s co*ckpit.

“Skywalker,” Luke turned to the hissing sound, his eyes landing on Cal. A rasp like a desert snake’s rattle lanced through his brain as one of the crystals in Cal's lightsaber bag called his name again.

Luke got up, his legs seemingly moving on their own, out the Marauder, ignoring Kallus and Wrecker calling for him, and into the hangar where Cal and Echo were chatting.

“Um, Cal, I don't know how to say this, I hear one of the crystals calling my name,” Luke explained, but he didn’t want to describe how it made his skin crawl.

Cal smiled at Luke, “so you were finally able to connect to one?” but his look turned quizzical when he studied Luke closer. BD-1 jumped from Cal’s shoulder onto the table and started fishing in Cal's things for the crystal phials. The little droid nudged the delicate glass phials towards Luke, eager to help him find his lightsaber crystal.

“This one,” Luke pointed to a phial with a yellow crystal among its cyan partner. Master Cordova's crystal and … a crystal that called Asajj Ventress's name.

Cal picked up the phial and pulled the crystal out with the Force, it floated, like a leaf in a brisk wind, into Cal's hand. BD-1 lept onto Cal’s shoulders and peered at the crystal with his big, curious lenses.

“This one is calling your name? Are you sure?” Cal wondered cautiously. He heard the crystalline call again, so Luke nodded. Cal exchanged a look with the droid on his shoulder and led Luke to the clear spot on the floor where they meditated together. “This belonged to Lady Ventress. I sense she wants to talk to you too,” Cal admitted, “but I should warn you, she might be dangerous.”

Kallus walked close to their space, hovering close behind Cal’s shoulder. R2 wheeled himself over, guarding Luke's backside.

“This is the only crystal that has called my name,” Luke proclaimed, “I need to do this.”

Cal’s face was serious, his lips formed a thin line and his scars seemed more pronounced than before as Cal extended his hand and the floating crystal followed the gesture into Luke’s awaiting palms. The crystal felt warm, radiating a biting heat. Luke tried to focus on his breathing like Yoda had taught him. He calmed his breath until his heartbeat was in sync with the small pulsing flame within the crystal, and it called his name again like a curse.

“Skywalker—” He felt swallowed up by amber.

“—so you really are his son,” a terse laugh echoed through Luke’s bones. Amber light bled away from his vision only to give way to a whole landscape of red and maroon. Strange black vines crept along ruined stone buildings and statues that looked like wailing skulls. What looked like strange bulbous fruits, large as TIE fighter co*ckpits, hung from twisted branches and swayed slightly in a dead breeze. Luke stepped forward carefully, looking for the source of that voice, “Guess I owe people some credits. I knew that dog fancied that Senator, but I didn’t know he actually pulled it off.”

Luke’s attention snapped to the interloper, perched on a wall that looked close to crumbling. She had ghostly white skin and pale yellow hair, she had dark blue markings about her lips and eyes and was dressed in leather armour; at her hip she wore a lightsaber.

“You knew my parents?” Luke demanded.

“Your mother? Yes. I think I threatened her life a few times,” she cackled and disappeared in a flash of green flames. Her harsh laughter bounced around the dark landscape, “and your father, we duelled many times,” her searing voice brushed against his ear. Luke jolted away in surprise.

“Who are you?” Luke shouted. This couldn’t be Lady Ventress, could it? Why would Cal have this woman’s crystal alongside Master Cordova’s?

“Because I have experience in a field even Cal Kestis needed help navigating,” the woman hissed slyly. The hairs on the back of Luke's neck stood as she invaded his personal space and read his thoughts, “Understanding the Dark side.”

Luke took a step back from her and attempted to harden his defences against her probing. Her devious grin made his skin crawl.

“What do you mean?” Luke asked nervously.

“You encountered Darth Vader and experienced the power of the Dark side, didn't you? Cal did too, but he wasn't as lucky,” she remarked, walking circles around Luke like a snake. “I can sense your fear, it reeks. Kenobi and Yoda were right to teach you to fear it, you're much too weak to face it head on. Cal Kestis had a different problem, see, he feared the Dark not because of an external source, it had already taken root in his heart.”

“You helped him conquer his fear of the Dark?” Luke tested, but judging by the unnerving environment that the woman seemed perfectly comfortable in, he knew that wasn't the answer.

“I helped him embrace the Dark,” she announced proudly.

“You're no Jedi,” Luke hissed.

“Not since I was a child, no,” she chided.

“You're like Vader,” Luke said.

“A Sith? I was, but there's more to this Galaxy than just Jedi and Sith,” she cackled.

“Who are you, really? Why did you call out to me?” Luke demanded.

“I'm Asajj Ventress, and believe it or not, you and I share a similar goal,” she sauntered up close to him and traced his shoulders with a single pale finger. Her touch was cold as ice. “We both want this war to end, with Darth Vader and his Master, Darth Sidious, destroyed.”

Luke fought the twitch in his lips. That is what he wanted, in a way… if it would end the war. She hummed and studied him up and down, a toxic smile on her face. Her cold blue eyes pierced his soul, “You might have the potential to become great. ‘Balance and fortitude’, that's what Kenobi and Yoda think are important. Bravery and persistence, Cordova believes that's what makes for a good Jedi, but to truly understand the power of the Force you need passion and strength!”

She grabbed the wrist of his cybernetic hand. He tried to wrench it away but her grip was too tight.

“I can feel it; your loss and shame, pain and suffering. Your anger and your fear,” Her sharp eyes locked with his, “in order to let go of your fear you must first face and accept it!”

The icy blue of her eyes flashed and Luke was overwhelmed by cold white light.

When he opened his eyes again he was no longer in that red stained environment, but it still felt dark. Despite the shimmering air and curling smoke that surrounded him, Luke felt cold in his core.

“Luke!” Cal's voice echoed quietly in the humid wind.

“Cal?” Luke’s voice felt alien to his own ears. He tried to regain his bearings. Red and black sand flowed around him like lava. He looked down at himself. He felt as if the crude matter of his flesh were dissolved, leaving only the essence of his Force. His whole being was made up of swirling blue and white energy, except for his right hand that was a cold, solid white.

“Luke!” Cal called again but no matter where Luke turned his head he couldn't find the ginger Jedi. The black smoke was as thick as tar.

“Cal, I don't know where I am! Lady Ventress sent me here! Take me back, please!” he called.

“Luke, you need to focus, listen to my voice, I'll guide you back!” Cal instructed as Luke trudged through the bubbling sand. He felt the wind change, a scraping boom of Cal Kestis pounded through the pitch dark clouds, revealing a pinkish figure out in the distance. Luke tried to push through the black fog, trudging through deep sand towards the one other source of light.

“Cal?” Luke called, but he stopped in his tracks at the sight of the other Jedi. Cal wasn't pink, he was a swirling storm of turbulent energy. Where Luke was blue, Cal was red, even in his left arm, it was white but with a reddish glow. The scars on Cal's face were cold, searing white, same as his empty eyes and the slashes all over his body. Near where Cal's heart was supposed to be was a red wound like a gaping black hole.

“Luke, come on, we need to leave,” Cal reached out his hand, the white and red energies twisted inside him like river rapids. Luke lifted his hand to take Cal's but a shiver tailing up his spine made him hesitate for just a moment.

Just beyond his periphery, Luke realised they weren't alone. Out in the distance, beyond the fog, was a castle like a pitch black spire of towering obsidian. Guarding over that oppressive castle was another being of pure rage. Black limbs, as dark as the void of space, a torso of red and black smoke… a helmet for a head.

“Luke, don't—!” Cal cried, his voice cracked as the sky did.

The being of pure red-rage turned, the burning visor of Vader’s helmet rocked Luke to his blue core. Darth Vader stalked forward. Vader's breath shook in Luke's bones like thunder.

A beam erupted from Cal's hand, searing red. He held it up like a guard before the towering beast.

“Luke, don't look at him!” Cal screamed.

He felt fire blaze across his skin where Cal pushed him out of the way before Vader could grab him.

A memory passed between them, of Vader’s mechanical hands closing around Cal's throat.

“Don't touch—!”

“Luke!” Leia's voice cut through the scorching red haze, he tried shaking his head to clear it of that fog. He felt recycled air in his lungs and sweat on his brow. Asajj Ventress's crystal clattered to the floor like shattered glass. A grey and blond blur Luke belatedly registered as Kallus quickly whisked Cal away to another corner of the hangar.

“Hey, he's awake!” The deep tenor of Zeb’s voice greeted him, the large purple Lasat hovered over Luke like a shelter. The blue and white light of hyperspace danced on the walls of the hangar like a dazzling ocean. Wedge's X-wing was now on the other side of the Marauder; its pilot, dressed in his flight gear, scrambled to his feet at the sight of Luke waking up.

The members of Clone Force 99 chattered above him until Wedge started to elbow them back, “give him some room!”

General Syndulla was nearby Zeb, her eyes fixed on Cal. Luke retrieved Lady Ventress’s crystal as a swift pair of feet hurried towards him.

“Thank goodness you’re back!” Leia exclaimed, relief flooded through the Force as she threw her arms around Luke’s shoulders and pulled him into a warm embrace.

“What happened, why are we in hyperspace?” Luke searched Leia's face for comfort but he could only sense concern from her. Zeb helped Luke to his feet, he stumbled. The hangar floor was solid, the metal echoed under his feet, but part of him still felt like he was sinking in shifting black sand.

“We met up with Sixth Division, and we were both ambushed by the Empire while you and Cal were both in there. Rogue Squadron and Clone Force 99 went to fight off the TIEs. We were able to jump to hyperspace, we’re on our way to meet with Seventh Division.” Leia explained quickly.

“What? Is Rogue Squadron okay? Luke asked.

“Fourth Division had few losses,” Leia assured him, so his friends like Wedge and Shara were safe. “Red and Green Squadrons defended the fleet well.”

“And Sixth?” Luke sensed the tension in Leia’s heart. She blinked at him once. Sixth had suffered heavy losses.

“How long was I in there?”

“Little more than an hour,” Leia explained, “you looked like you were in pain, are you alright?” Luke focused on his breath, his heart that threatened to beat out of his chest, the sensation of Lady Ventress’s crystal in his palm. It was calm in his hand, no longer lashing out at him, Luke released a breath. He focused on Leia’s hand on his shoulder, he wasn’t there anymore. He was safe, Vader couldn’t touch him.

“I’m okay… frightened,” Luke admitted. He glanced at the pair of Kallus and Cal, the ginger Jedi was crouched over and shaking, his face drenched with sweat and hiding from Kallus, BD-1 wound close to his friend, his boxy head snuggled right between his head and shoulder. “But Cal got me out of there.”

“Cal Kestis was the one who put you in there,” General Syndulla said, her sharp green eyes blazing, “what did he do to you?”

“Cal helped me get out of there,” Luke repeated.

“He barely got you out, he nearly had a panic attack,” General Syndulla scoffed. “—That's why I didn't want Kestis on this ship. Luke was completely unreachable while we were under attack, Red Squadron could have mobilised faster if he were aware of what was happening or we even knew Luke was okay!” she declared, “Cal Kestis is still the same as ever, hiding things, I warned you, he’s dangerous.” R2 blipped quietly, sharing the General's concern.

Lady Ventress’s crystal suddenly felt hot as it dug into his synth skin, he felt some sort of determination to defend the ginger Jedi, “Cal said this crystal belonged to someone who helped him. She said I had to face my fear and showed me Vader. Yoda was right, I still fear him. That would scare anyone,” Luke said.

“You don't have to make excuses for him,” General Syndulla scolded, she pointed at Wedge, then Hunter, “I warned you, Kestis hasn’t gotten better, and we all know what could happen if his condition gets worse. We need to get him off this ship.”

“We agreed that Cal can stay as long as he’s helping Luke with his lightsaber and Clone Force 99 supervises him,” Leia reminded the general, “but if he really can’t help Luke find a crystal, perhaps it is best he leaves. Once we meet with the Seventh Division, a rebel cell there can take Cal.”

Wedge released a heavy sigh, “This was my call. I trust Cal Kestis, but I don’t want to see anyone else get hurt.”

A spark lit in Tech’s eyes, “for the benefit of everyone’s safety, perhaps it is best that Cal maintains his distance from the Rebellion once again. I remember, Cal has some field guides for lightsaber crystals and manuals for lightsaber construction, he doesn’t have to aid Luke directly.”

“What?” Luke stammered, “I get you all mean well, but I don’t just need holobooks, I need a Jedi to help me.”

“Cal Kestis is no Jedi,” General Syndulla declared.

“I am a Jedi,” Cal rasped from behind her, carefully walking forward to meet her, Kallus’ hand on his shoulder as the handler tried to calm him down, “No matter what you think of me, General Syndulla, I am a Jedi.”

Zeb’s yellow eyes narrowed at the ginger man, with his powerful arms over his broad chest, he commanded a looming presence over Cal who seemed to shrink under his glare, “You’d dare compare yourself to the likes of Ezra and Ahsoka? To Kanan Jarrus?” Cal’s lips thinned and he looked away, BD-1 whistling quietly on his back.

General Syndulla raised a hand and stepped between Zeb and Cal, who each took steps away from her.

“Luke, I understand you want someone who understands the Jedi to help you with this,” she said, her green eyes sincere, “but Kestis is not the solution here.”

“Why not?” Luke bemoaned.

“You should know something about him, he hasn't told you. Do you know why he uses crystals that aren't his own?” she challenged.

“We know that. We’ve all read Commander Jarrus’ report,” Omega excused but Luke had no idea what she was talking about.

“What do they mean?” Luke asked Cal. All eyes fell on the ginger. BD-1 massaged Cal’s shoulders, keeping him grounded.

“Kanan trusted you, even when you showed him what you did to your own lightsaber crystal,” General Syndulla proclaimed towards Cal, “if Luke still trusts you when you show him what you really are, you can stay ‘till the job is done,” her ultimatum echoed through the still hangar.

“No, Cal,” Kallus added softly, “we’re all here to help Luke, in our own way. This isn’t about you. You don’t have to do that.”

Cal’s fists shook at his sides, his lightsaber swayed slightly from his hip. Luke realised that Eno Cordova’s and Asajj Ventress’s crystals couldn’t really be the core of Cal’s lightsaber. The song within the hilt was a mournful wail that squeezed at his heart. Luke was supposed to find a crystal that sang his name. What kind of crystal sang Cal Kestis?

“Alright,” Cal finally spoke after a long while, “I’ll leave.”

Cal had retreated to the back of the Marauder again, curled up on a bunk with a thin mattress, his poncho thrown over his head and BD-1 folded up on his back. Luke stood before the room’s threshold, behind Kallus’ broad back.

“Cal, get up,” Kallus scolded, nudging the Jedi with his foot, “Cal, we drop out of hyperspace in less than an hour.” Cal laid there on the bunk, still and quiet, “BD-1, tell him this isn’t funny.” The little droid whirred solemnly, rubbing one corner of his rectangular head against Cal’s shoulder. “Cal…” Kallus called again and let out a low, patient breath, “when we get to the rendezvous point, what do you think the weather would be like on the planet?”

There was a long pause that dragged out in the small room before Cal finally answered, “cloudy.”

“Do you think there’ll be a storm?”

“Can Jedi predict the weather?” Luke whispered to Kallus.

Kallus held up a hand and shook his head.

“No storms, just cloudy,” Cal answered, though his voice sounded empty.

“Are you sure?”

“…yes.”

“Okay,” Kallus said, seemingly satisfied with Cal’s answer and placed a stern hand on Luke's shoulder to let him into the room, “Luke is here.”

“Cal?” Luke tried. The Jedi slowly plucked BD-1 in his hands and moved to sit up on the bunk, the little droid cradled in his lap.

“Hello there,” Cal greeted gently. Luke sensed Kallus leave the two of them alone. “If you really need a lightsaber crystal, I'll give you Master Cordova's,” Cal said determinedly, though his shoulders were sagging slightly under his poncho.

“But shouldn't I find a crystal that calls my own name?” Luke postured, Lady Ventress's crystal hummed quietly in his pocket. He watched as Cal's lips twisted with apprehension. They'd run out of time and General Syndulla wanted Cal to leave. Luke had really failed to connect to a crystal of his own, now Cal was giving up part of his soul for Luke. It didn't seem right.

“What will happen to your own lightsaber?” Luke wondered.

“I have my own crystal, one that calls my name,” Cal explained with a shrug.

“Can you show me?” Luke asked.

Cal's green eyes darted over Luke's face for a moment before finally unhooking his lightsaber from his belt.

“My lightsaber is also an heirloom lightsaber,” Cal explained as he held it carefully in his hands, “but I'd also forged it myself. The components are from the hilts of other lightsabers, from Jedi who'd helped me on my journey,” it lifted into the air with a low hum of the Force, “my first Master, Jaro Tapal, and Master Cordova and my mentor, Cere Junda and my lineage sister, Trilla Suduri. But the crystal is truly my own,” Cal fluttered his fingers and the lightsaber disassembled in midair, the core of the lightsaber was revealed with a bright light and a mourning wail. The apparatus that housed the crystals floated gently despite the burning red crystal within, “I still have a lot to learn.”

“It's red,” Luke tried not to gawk, red like Vader's.

“I made a choice,” Cal admitted with a leaden breath, the air between them felt cold, “to give in to my anger and hatred, to the Dark side. The Force granted me power, but at the cost of great suffering. I hurt people that I loved, and I hurt myself,” Cal admitted, and Luke dared to wonder what would have happened to his loved ones had he given in to his anger too. “That's the choice I made, and the past can't be changed. But I have to keep moving forward.”

With a low hum, the crystal apparatus folded back into the hilts then the lightsabers joined together again. “Master Cordova and Lady Ventress helped me restore my lightsaber, get me back on my path as a Jedi, and I hope they'll do the same for you.”

He fished a parcel out of his bag and offered it to Luke. It was a lightsaber of sleek design; one half had a leather grip like stacked rings and the other had a metal lattice for casing. It had a simple switch in the middle and he could see the wiring and components through the lattice’s holes. “This hilt belonged to Lady Ventress, Master Cordova's crystal is within,” Cal explained.

Luke fished into his pockets and held the yellow crystal of Lady Ventress in his own palm, were they really making a trade like this?

Luke gave Cal back Lady Ventress's crystal but recoiled his hand when Cal tried to hand the lightsaber to him.

“Master Cordova said I have what it takes to be a Jedi… but I'm not sure this is the right way. The quick and easy path…” Luke contemplated.

“Persistence reveals the path,” Cal said quietly.

“Then let me try again!” Luke insisted, “I know I can connect to a crystal, forge my own lightsaber, become a Jedi!” he focused on the metal canister he knew was in Cal's bag, hoping, hoping one of them would sing his name.

“Well, if none of these crystals called out to you, perhaps your crystal isn't here,” Cal suggested, “it's somewhere out there.” He gestured vaguely to the hangar bay doors.

Luke thought back to the first day he'd met Cal, an archaeologist who found Jedi artefacts on his expeditions. There was a whole Galaxy out there…

“How will I find a crystal out there? The Galaxy is… It's huge,” Luke whined.

“I know some planets off the top of my head,” Cal rolled his eyes, then closed them gently to think, “most are occupied by the Empire for that precious resource, mined ‘til they're empty.”

“Take me to one!” Luke demanded and he stood up, a flame in his heart.

“Luke, I can't, General Syndulla would—”

“Think about it, General Syndulla said you have to leave but she never said anything about me going with you?” Luke pressed, “If I tell Leia it's for Jedi stuff, she'd understand!”

BD-1 whistled excitedly that he concurred with Luke. Cal's green eyes shone bright. Then a small sound bubbled out of Cal's throat. The ginger Jedi doubled over and laughed. The sound was airy and bright, and soon Luke felt laughter build in his own lungs too.

He was going to build his own lightsaber.

Luke was almost knocked off his feet as Home One dropped out of hyperspace. The blue and white light outside the hangar bled away, the deep black of space opened before them, with only the distant stars for light and comfort. The Seventh Division fleet snapped to reality and some of the smaller ships started docking with the Fourth’s, the different rebel cells were allowed to mingle and share reconnaissance and reports. An S-161 yacht floated among the rebel fleet like a blue shard of ice and berthed within the hangar among some Y-wings. Luke regarded it curiously, it didn't look like a typical rebel ship, being primarily a yacht instead of a fighter, he wondered if it had more canons hidden aboard.

“Alright, Cal, here's your squad,” Kallus called as he presented a group of rebels who'd disembarked from the S-161 yacht. A blue Mirialan in a green jacket stood by a Duros dressed in armour. A lightsaber hung from the Duros’ hip; Luke didn’t want to get caught making the same mistake he did with Cal, so he regarded the figure curiously. Both of them stood a pace behind their squad captain, a Palliduvan woman, by Luke's guess, with pale white skin, grey hair and red clothes. She reminded Luke of Lady Ventress, with her light grey facial tattoos and some sort of green song in the Force that rang in her soul.

“Ah, the Stinger Mantis crew,” Leia explained, “they’re a group of marauders that we hire, mostly for reconnaissance and scouting missions.”

“This is Lieutenant Vashtan Wolfe,” Cal gestured to the Duros with a lightsaber at his belt, “Captain Moran,” he waved to the Mirialan, “oh, and the Nightsister, Merrin,” Cal introduced the woman, BD-1 trilled excitedly from his shoulder, “she's a Force-wielder, like us, but she's not a Jedi,” Cal explained to Luke casually.

“Oh, Cal Kestis, what a surprise to see you here,” the woman teased.

"I was supposed to be back home before you were finished with your mission,” Cal forced a smile through his teeth. The blue Mirialan hid a chuckle behind his hand.

"Well, at least Grandma Greez will enjoy this extra time with the kids," Merrin shrugged with a playful smirk.

"Um, he's still busy with the new franchise but he said he could watch them in the evenings. I… I had to get someone else for the daytime," Cal explained, a red blush slowly spread across his freckles cheeks. BD-1 tittered from Cal’s shoulder.

“Cal, you can't make Kata watch over her younger siblings all the time,” Merrin scolded.

“I didn't…”

"What? Who did you get to babysit, then?" Merrin asked, her lips a tight line, “Wini and Zygg?”

“No, they're really busy with that renovation project,” Cal weasled.

“Then who?” Merrin gasped.

"Please don't be mad," Cal said as he shoved his hands into his pockets and BD-1 shifted on Cal's tight shoulders. Beside Luke, Wedge gave a heavy sigh as he dragged his palm down over his face in exasperation.

"Cal, you didn't! Toa and San are still on their honeymoon!" Merrin snaped.

"Ah, no, not them, I wouldn't want to bother them," Cal corrected her.

"Mads Gresh?" Merrin guessed again.

"Nah, moon's haunted. We don't need Cere and Talia making friends with that big purple guy, do we?" Cal rolled his eyes. BD-1 gave a whistling beep like a laugh. Luke gave Leia a sideways glance. Kallus rolled his eyes at the two other members of the Mantis crew.

"Cal Kestis," Merrin's voice dropped low as her eyebrows knit together, as if she could try and read his mind. Maybe she could, Cal said Merrin was a Nightsister, another kind of Force-wielder. "Not Skoova Stev?!"

"He was in the sector and he takes good care of Jaro—"

"You know I prefer Boba," Merrin said crossly.

Cal started counting on his fingers, "I couldn't get a hold of him on such short notice, he's expensive, and I don't like owing him favours!" BD-1 hung off of Cal's shoulder by one foot, buzzing and beeping at the whole exchange. Merrin threw her head back in mirth, then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Cal's shoulders and pulled him close, tattooed fingers playing in his roughly cut hair. He instantly relaxed under her touch, his hands finding purchase on her hips as they exchanged quiet words none of the others could hear.

”Right, so, that’s Merrin,” Kallus explained under his breath at Luke, “she’s Cal’s wife.”

Then Merrin's eyes fell on Luke and he felt a rush of cold, like she was staring straight into him.

"Why have you been keeping my husband from me, Skywalker?" Merrin challenged.

“He's the young Jedi I told you about,” Cal explained as he twirled his fingers through her silvery, grey hair, “I was supposed to help him forge a lightsaber.”

“And how is that going?” Merrin posed, the corner of her lips turned up in a smile, “I would expect you were an expert on that.”

“We're working an angle right now,” Cal assured her.

“We have three days, Cal,” Kallus reminded the Jedi, “Captain Skywalker and I need to meet the rest of the Rebellion at the rendezvous by then.”

Leia pulled Luke into a tight hug, “Good luck out there,” she confided into his golden hair. Wedge nudged him on the shoulder as Kallus led him up the Mantis’ landing ramp, feeling his friends’ confidence seep into himself.

The Stinger Mantis was an immaculate ship, sleek and clean, but also warm and welcoming. There were few sharp edges, most surfaces were curved or rounded off, and there were many potted plants tucked cosily into portholes or under grow lamps. The Millennium Falcon truly was a far cry from the Stinger Mantis. As the two newcomers entered the Mantis, Luke noticed a battle droid, a model he hadn't seen before, standing in the galley, waiting for the others. It was wearing a set of robes, not unlike Ben did, upon its slouched shoulders and a lightsaber on its hip, its small white eyes peered at Luke curiously.

“Who is this?” The droid asked.

“Hello, BX-9, this is Luke, the young Jedi we're going to help,” Cal explained, then turned to Luke, “he's a commando droid, from the Clone Wars.”

“I thought he would be younger,” BX-9 tilted his head as his eyes scanned Luke up and down.

“He's only three years younger than you are,” Cal teased.

“So, you're helping this kid on a Gathering type thing?” Vashtan said as the ramp folded up behind him and the door slid closed.

“In a way, yeah,” Cal called over his shoulder.

“I am so proud of you, Cal, finally taking on a Padawan,” Merrin said sweetly as she pecked him on the cheek.

“Uh… Merrin,” Cal opened his mouth to say something.

“I thought you said you’d never have a Padawan,” Moran directed at Cal. BD-1 trilled excitedly on Cal’s shoulder.

”He’s not my Padawan,” Cal corrected, “I’m just helping him build a lightsaber so he can continue his Jedi training.” Moran seemed unconvinced, there was a glint in his eye as he smirked at Cal.

“Another Padawan?” BX-9’s voice glitched slightly as he tilted his head up straight again, “how exciting.”

”Congrats on the Padawan, by the way,” Vashtan nudged Cal on the arm, then he placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder, “Hey, welcome to the crew.”

“He’s not my Padawan,” Cal called to Vashtan’s back who was retreating into the galley as quickly as he could.

”What’s a Padawan?” Luke asked plainly.

“A baby Jedi,” Moran supplied with a grin.

Luke huffed and crossed his arms across his chest. “I’m no one’s Padawan.” Kallus rolled his eyes and made himself comfortable on one of the couches that curved along the walls of the common area and galley.

”Sure,” Moran dragged out the syllable as he wandered into the co*ckpit and soon, the Mantis floated out of the hangar.

”Come on, Luke, grab some seat,” Merrin said warmly, her accent adding a hint of laughter to the phrase. She led him towards the front of the ship, there was a room with a holotable bracketed by two curved couches just before the co*ckpit. A few button presses with her delft fingers and the holotable sprung to life, lighting up with a projection of several nearby planets. “You get to choose our heading.”

BD-1 jumped from Cal’s shoulder onto the table’s lit surface as the ginger Jedi approached and started typing coordinates into the table’s console.

”I… I don’t know any planets with kyber crystals,” Luke admitted.

“They can be found on a lot more planets than people think,” Cal said without looking up from his work. Slowly, projections of planets and moons began to populate the air above the holotable. Planets Luke had been to before, some he'd never heard of.

“That many?” Luke gazed upon the holomaps in awe.

“I'm filtering the results, a lot of these worlds were occupied by the Empire for their resources, to build the Death Star. We'd ought to avoid Imperial entanglements,” Cal explained as some of the planets and moons blinked dimly.

“Sure, Cal,” Moran called from the co*ckpit, “Greez told us what you did on Ilum.” Cal told Luke to ignore him for now.

“How am I supposed to choose?” Luke wondered. They had limited time to explore, they couldn't visit them all.

Cal took a seat beside Luke once he was satisfied with the comprehensive list he'd put on the holotable. He placed his hands on Luke's shoulders to look into the blue and white light of the holos, “there's this old Jedi technique you can use, you have to open your heart and mind to the Force. Now, I admit it might not help you find exactly what you want, but you'll find the truth as the Force presents it. Understand?”

Luke nodded at Cal, determined to find his crystal.

“Close your eyes, breathe steady, and focus on the list,” Cal instructed, his firm and comforting hands falling away from Luke's shoulders and all he was left with was the feeling of the Force flowing slowly through him as he breathed in and out. “Don't try to picture your crystal or see what you want to see, let the Force guide you. Stay in the present, at this place and this time,” Luke could hear the holotable whir, subtle beeps and chimes as he cycled through the list of planets, faster and faster, the Force pulling him along like a leaf on a river. He saw a flash of Bespin, his hand and his father's lightsaber falling, falling. He saw Lando and Leia trying to help him find it again, he saw Wedge bring Cal aboard in desperation. He saw the crystals Cal brought along but none of them called to him but… verdant trees clinging to sheer cliffs, his name on the wind whistling through rocky spires.

“There,” Luke pointed forward, his finger brushing the green and blue holo of a planet he'd never heard of before. BD-1 trilled excitedly on the holotable, proud that Luke had found such a pretty planet.

“Interesting choice, mountainous terrain, little Imperial presence,” Cal smiled as he pressed a button and the coordinates were sent to the co*ckpit.

“The Padawan’s picked a place?” Moran called once he received the holotable data, “okay, we have our heading!” Then, the Mantis made the jump to hyperspace and Luke felt that much closer to being a Jedi.

Luke was told to get comfortable on the Mantis so he and Kallus were served some fruits. Sitting in the holotable room, Luke calculated the trajectory from the Fourth Division’s last location to their destination: the little blip on the holomap that represented the Mantis was steadily making its way along towards a planet named Korba, at the edge of the Outer Rim. Though the Mantis seemed just as fast as the Millenium Falcon, it would take the better part of a day to travel there. So in the meantime, Luke was offered a bunk in the crew quarters so he could nap. It wasn't easy falling asleep on a new ship, despite its cleanliness and warm aesthetics. It just didn't quite feel like home the way the Millennium Falcon did. Luke's mind wandered to Chewie and Lando, off in search of Han. He felt his mind swirling around the twisting corridors of Cloud City, the sound of Darth Vader’s mechanical breath loud on his ears.

Luke woke with a jolt, feeling shining red eyes staring at him in his uneasy sleep.

“Whoa, you were having Jedi dreams?” Vashtan teased, his red eyes narrowed at him in a smirk, but they weren't Vader's. Luke rubbed at his wrist, his lips pulled taut.

“Maybe,” Luke groaned.

“Well, we're less than an hour out, come to the galley, stretch your legs,” Vashtan nudged him on the shoulder and quickly made his way out ahead of Luke.

When Luke came out to the galley, Kallus was seated at a table, writing in a holobook as the Clone Wars era droid worked at the kitchen, deftly chopping some vegetables. A recorded playlist from some DJ that Moran liked wafted through the air from digital speakers in the walls while the blue and white of hyperspace flowed over the Mantis’ glass co*ckpit and flashed by the portholes throughout the galley. He didn’t know if Kallus would pay attention to him, but the strange Clone Wars era droid seemed to know he was staring at it. Its head turned to face him despite the rest of its body being turned away from him and performing his task at the kitchen. Luke retreated into the co*ckpit where Vashtan sat at comms with his feet on the dashboard. The Duros quickly planted his feet back on the floor when Luke entered, but relaxed once again when he realized he wasn’t Cal. Moran rolled his eyes, though he was also reclined in the pilot's seat.

“Kallus told us you know how to fly,” Moran smirked at him and offered him the co-pilot seat, “Cal usually sits there, but he's not here. Tough luck for him, right?”

“Where is Cal?” Luke wondered.

“With Merrin in the engine room, she’s giving him a proper haircut. I went to fetch him just before I went to go get you,” Vashtan explained, his eyes peeking over his own shoulder at the door, just anticipating for Cal to come by.

“So, what's Korba like, have either of you been there?” Luke asked.

“There used to be an Imperial operation there, the planet is rich in kyber crystals, almost as much as Ilum. But there was a mining accident so the Empire abandoned the installation,” Moran explained.

“A mining accident, huh, you mean Rebel activity?” Luke smirked.

“No, really. A mining accident. Heard half a whole mountain range collapsed. The kyber crystals on Korba are highly unstable compared to other planets,” Moran corrected him.

“You sure know how to pick them,” Vashtan’s voice was undercut by his fiendish laugh, “the crystals on Korba don't just sing to Jedi either, they sing to everyone, even non-Force Sensitives. It felt so surreal, I couldn't get their songs out of my head when we went,” a shiver ran down Vashtan's spine as he recoiled in his seat.

“Aren't you a Jedi?” Luke pondered, his eyes trailing to the lightsaber at his hip.

Moran nearly fell out of his chair as he guffawed. “Lieutenant Vashtan Wolfe?! A Jedi!”

“He has a lightsaber,” Luke tried to argue over Moran's forced wheezes. He remembered the droid also had a lightsaber… but so did Cal when they first met. The Mantis crew seemed so hard to predict.

Vashtan placed his feet flat on the floor and crossed his arms over his chest, his face a scowl at the captain.

“Having a lightsaber doesn't make you a Jedi,” Vashtan started, familiar words, though when Cal had told him Luke felt more encouraged than with the cold and stern tone Vashtan was using.

“Then, why do you have one?” Luke pondered.

“Our former leader, Rayvis, rewarded me with a lightsaber, one of his trophies from Jedi he'd killed in the past, for my loyalty and battle prowess. We were supposed to kill Cal Kestis, a threat to our rule. Cal had beaten me in a duel, he spared my life that time and saved it on another occasion. I'm loyal to Cal now, I protect the town we've worked so hard to build,” Vashtan explained. “But I've seen what the Jedi can do. I train as best I can, good enough to face a Jedi on equal terms, but I know I'll never be a Jedi.”

“You've put in a valiant effort so far,” Cal's voice rang from behind them, he offered Luke a warm wave of his cybernetic hand, and BD-1 flashed one of his lenses from Cal's shoulder, then the ginger man took a seat at engineering behind the captain's chair. The long waves of his hair were cropped short on his sides, but he still had some choppy tufts on the top of his head. If Merrin was the one that cut his hair, she must have had a way with scissors. “And you did have me at a disadvantage that one time. You could have defeated me then,” Cal added.

“I wasn’t about to bring dishonour upon us both. I had ambushed you, but you were in no condition to fight. There would have been no glory in killing you at that time either,” Vashtan argued, Luke felt his eyebrows shoot up behind his hair, “next time I challenge you, Cal Kestis, you'll be of sound body and mind. I won't hold back and you shouldn't either: we’ll fight to the death.”

Luke's eyes darted between the two crewmates anxiously, though Moran seemed completely relaxed in their presence and mouthed, it’s a date with a sarcastic wink.

“You know being a Jedi is more than just fighting,” Cal presented with a wide smile.

“Yeah? And how long did it take you to learn that?” Vashtan quipped; his eyes narrowed at Cal, his shoulders squared as he rested his elbows on his knees, like a charhound ready to pounce.

Cal gave a short laugh to himself, smiled at BD-1, then offered a kind look to Luke, “that's partly why I study archeology now. There's so much wisdom to uncover, in old Jedi artefacts and other cultures, things we'd forgotten by the time the Republic fell. Your comrades, and even BX-9 are studying, too.”

“Ha, that droid is crosswired, he's wasting his time,” Vashtan challenged, “no matter how much I train at fighting, or BX-9 and the others study the old rituals, I've seen what a true Jedi can do. Without the Force, there's no way we'd pull off the tricks you can do.”

“Being a Jedi isn't about trickery either,” Cal smirked, “that's more of a Nightsister thing.”

“I heard that!” Merrin called from the galley as Cal hid soft giggles behind his hand. Moran did some final checks before they dropped from hyperspace.

“So I'll be able to hear the kyber crystals down there?” Luke wondered at the green and blue ball before them, whisky white clouds wrapped around it like ribbons.

“You'll hear kyber song all over those mountains,” Cal said, “but you'll have to listen for yours,” he warned.

“What will it sound like?” Luke wondered as the Mantis began its descent through Korba's clouds, cutting through the fluffy white like a knife.

”It’ll sound like you,” Cal said.

Korba was a temperate world, full of towering, spire-like mountains that the Mantis expertly wove through, riding the rivers of wind past flashes of greenery that clung to cliffs and through blue, silvery mist from wispy waterfalls. The Mantis landed near an abandoned settlement on an outcropping of white stone, its single yellow sun spilled pools of dappled light through the branches of lush green trees.

Cal and BD-1 and Merrin disembarked first, scouting out the area, teetering close to the sheer cliffs or sorting through discarded items among the settlement. Kallus stuck close to Luke as they ventured out among the grass and stones.

“Can you hear it?” Kallus asked, “I didn’t think I would, but Moran was right, I can hear music. The only ones who can’t are the droids.”

Luke strained to listen, but there it was, quiet and snowy, whistling through the sheer cliffs; chimes and tunes and rhymes and music. He couldn’t discern any one song, it felt like he was listening to a frequency stuck between different holonet stations. He stepped closer to the edge of the cliff, he felt the wind in his hair and chords in his lungs. His eyes widened at the scene. Among the lush green and white and brown of the mountains, thousands of tiny stars sparkled as different crystals reached out to him, singing their own songs.

”Legends say that a Sith once poisoned the kyber here, and the mountains bled red. A Jedi purified them with a song, and there was harmony,” Cal explained. BD-1 buzzed quietly that he couldn’t hear it and Cal gave him a comforting pat. “Merrin could sing to you, buddy.”

”I sense something dark here,” Merrin warned from behind Luke, startling him, “Cal and BD-1 should accompany you,” she ordered. Luke looked Cal up and down, his hands flexing as he took in big gulps of mountain air.

“Cal?” Luke reached out to the Jedi.

“I'm okay,” he sighed, “I can guide you because I already know my own song, I won't get lost among the stones.”

Luke nodded as BD-1 projected a map in front of him, highlighting points of interest from when he and Cal had last visited the planet. Merrin twined her fingers with Cal's and they shared a kiss. Luke focused on the holomap to grant them privacy.

“Keep up communication on the comms,” Kallus pointed towards a transponder in his hand, eyes stern at he and Cal both. BD-1 whistled excitedly at the prospect of adventure. Luke started along a path with Cal close behind. The crystals in the area must have already been mined long ago, the rock walls and cliff faces around them lacked the kind of shimmer that called to him from the distant spires. Cal picked up some sort of shovel, half hidden by overgrown grass beside an abandoned house and held it for a moment, turning it over in his hands.

“During the High Republic, one of Korba’s main exports were pigment dyes for fabrics. The minerals here are very unique, it's not just kyber in these veins,” he explained, then held the shovel out to let BD-1 scan it into his database. The distant song of crystals echoed in the wind as they made their way through the settlement and towards the spire-like mountains of the rest of the province. “Do you hear any songs?”

“Not in particular,” Luke admitted as he took a moment to focus, “I hear a lot of noise, nothing so far is really singing to me.”

“Then we ought to keep exploring,” Cal smiled and BD trilled excitedly.

Over the next couple of hours they made little progress except in moving far away from the Mantis, far enough Luke could no longer see the mountain the ship was perched on. They crossed rickety old wooden bridges that stretched across the vast gaps across mountain spires, held together by rope darkened by rain and time, and squeezed through mineshafts and caves that glimmered with crystals though none called to Luke. Cal updated Kallus on their position. Luke listened to the wind. BD-1 suggested making their way towards one of the points of interest on his map. Then suddenly, Cal urged Luke to hide in the shadows of the entrance to a mineshaft just moments before a TIE fighter screamed past them.

“Have the Empire found us here?” Luke gasped, his heart racing.

Cal casually called to his captain on the comms.

“Looks like a patrol, nothing on their comms suggest they're here for us. They do have advanced mining technology here, they could be guarding it from marauders,” Moran explained through the staticy chatter.

“I will conceal the Mantis,” Merrin announced, “do you need a pickup?”

“We haven't found Luke's crystal yet,” Cal sighed.

“Good luck then,” Moran relayed before letting the comms fall silent again. The three explorers continued on as the sun arced above them.

By the time the sun had sunk low on the horizon and painted orange across the sky, they found what looked like an abandoned outpost and Cal and BD-1 took a moment to investigate. Apparently the dwelling they'd come across belonged to a miner, as evidenced by the specialised tools in the workshed that Cal pointed out and a manual with drawings of crystals and minerals on old dusty flimsi that BD-1 found. The home was abandoned when the Imperial project became defunct. The droid eagerly scanned the pages that Cal carefully flipped through, occasionally growing still with a distant expression in his eyes.

“This would have been a wonderful place to visit before the Empire came along,” Cal expressed with a sense of mourning in his voice. Luke couldn't imagine a Galaxy without the Empire, the tyrannical regime had existed his whole life.

“What was it like?” Luke asked.

“What was what like?” Cal responded as he and BD-1 did a final sweep of the dwelling and made a sign at the door as they left, thanking the residents long gone for their stories.

“The Galaxy before the Empire,” Luke said as they continued on, the songs of crystals filled his ears, he tried to focus on Cal, “when there were still Jedi around. Living… living among others like us, who can feel the Force.”

Cal paused in his trek, Luke stopped in the middle of the dirt trail and waited for him.

“I… I can hardly remember, to be completely honest. The life I had with the Jedi, from Before… sometimes it feels like a dream,” Cal explained sadly as BD-1 concurred from his shoulder. “I was only nine years old when the Clone Wars started and I was deployed alongside my Master. We only returned to the Temple a few times during shore leave.”

“The Temple?”

“The Jedi Temple on Coruscant, that's what all Jedi called home… when we had one,” Cal clarified, “it's the Imperial Palace now,” he said quickly as he passed Luke on the path and continued up the slope. Luke's mouth hung open as he heard some crystals around them wail and mourn.

“That… that feels so wrong,” Luke bemoaned. The place the Jedi once called home, twisted and perverted to serve a man who'd ordered their deaths.

“I'd seen it with my own eyes, what it'd become…” Cal said, his expression growing distant, “it… hurt…” his hands found their way to his lightsaber and the charm hanging from his holster as BD-1 whistled quietly from his back and began massaging his shoulders. “I'm okay, BD, thank you.”

“We've been hiking all day, we should find a place to rest,” Luke suggested.

“Good idea,” Cal nodded as he signalled to the Mantis crew they'd be settling in for the night. They came to a small village, but just like every settlement they'd come across it was abandoned long ago. Cal found eviction notices on the doors and BD-1 whistled that the lonely mountains felt all too familiar. Residents displaced by the Empire, a common story. Cal snuck into one of the old homes via an open window. They ate ration bars for dinner and started a small fire to keep them warm. Whatever threads the crest on Cal’s shoulder was embroidered with caught the campfire’s glow. It reminded Luke so much of the Rebel Starbird, but it wasn’t the Intelligence sector he assumed Cal would wear and wondered if it was for a cell from before his time like Phoenix Squad or the Partisans. Did Cal wear this emblem or the Starbird when he was part of the Rebellion?

“Why’d you come to help me find a lightsaber?” Luke asked.

“Because Commander Wedge Antilles asked,” Cal shrugged.

”That’s really it?”

Cal nodded. “Commander Antilles is a good man. I’m not really doing this for the Rebellion, I wanted to help a friend help a friend.”

“Would you ever consider coming back to the Rebellion?” He tried to hide the uncertainty in his voice but figured Cal could sense his throat fluttering as he spoke.

BD-1 whistled excitedly as Cal shifted his weight, thinking about an answer.

“I don’t think so,” Cal admitted. “I didn’t think I’d ever join the Rebel Alliance; when I finally did, it reminded me too much of the work I did for the Partisans. I thought I’d left that part of my life behind.”

“The fighting?” Luke guessed, and Cal nodded.

“The Rebellion doesn’t seem much different than the Partisans to me. Both groups are fighting to defeat the Empire and I’m good at fighting. For a time it was all I knew how to do. It wasn’t healthy for me, and it was taking me away from my other duties, my commitment to my family and uh...”

“And your archeology work?” Luke filled in the blank.

“Our culture and history are so important to me, I want to build something that will outlast the Empire.”

“You know so much about the Jedi,” Luke acknowledged.

“A lifetime of study, I learn more every day.”

“Can you teach me?” The words jumped from his mouth before he could stop them, he wanted someone to guide him towards his destiny. Ben was unreliable and Yoda wouldn’t want to after he’d failed—

“I’m not sure I’d be the best teacher, Luke,” Cal said apologetically, though BD-1 buzzed in defiance of Cal. The ginger had to calm the droid down with a gentle hand. Luke tried to imagine what it would be like, learning from another Jedi familiar with the Rebellion. “I’m not a very good Jedi.”

“I must not really know about the Jedi, because you seem pretty good to me,” Luke said with a grin. Cal suppressed a tired laugh and ate his ration bar.

The fire crackled and the mountains sang as Luke picked at the synth-skin seam at his wrist. If he listened carefully and reached out with the Force he could sense it. Just as Luke was afraid Yoda wouldn’t take him back, Cal was also fearful of something… “Do you really think Yoda is my best choice? Will he really help me complete my training?”

”If you return to him with your own crystal and a lightsaber you forged yourself, yes. He’ll have to,” Cal determined, “you will be a Jedi. I promise.”

Luke forced a smile and finished his dinner. They found a bed for Luke but Cal seemed content enough on the floor, kneeling on a rug woven by inhabitants long gone. Cal soon settled into meditation, BD sat quietly beside the Jedi who whispered names under his breath. Luke tried to fall asleep and calm his mind, tried to focus on whatever song he could find inside his heart and tried to resonate with a crystal in the mountains. He tossed and turned in the bed. There were so many songs in the wind, he wondered what it must have been like when there were more Jedi around.

“Was it ever so lonely like this?” Luke asked aloud, rousing Cal from his meditation. “Ever since I learned about the Force… It feels so strange: having this connection to everyone but also… it feels lonely being the only one who has it.”

“Sometimes I dream about what it was like,” Cal said forlornly, as Luke focused on the ginger's words, “living in a Galaxy with other Jedi… it was certainly less lonely,” a smile tugged at his lips. “We’re Jedi, we have this connection to the Force,” Cal explained, “it ties us to other living things, you've felt it before, haven't you?”

Luke nodded, thinking of the times he'd felt that invisible connection to Leia or Han or even Chewie and Wedge.

“Being surrounded by other Jedi… it was like swimming in a sea of gold. And you were never alone. Even when I was deployed with my Master, I could still reach out to my teachers and friends, sense them out in the Galaxy like distant stars,” Cal said, BD-1 whirring excitedly on his shoulder, recording his words for prosperity. “My Master was my anchor. He was always there by my side, guiding me, protecting me, teaching me. He was my sun, the closest thing I had to a father. The Jedi were my family….”

Luke wondered what it could have been like had Ben survived the Death Star, why couldn't he have that with Yoda… “I wish I could have experienced that.”

Cal blinked and added lowly, “the Purge came in like a storm. Where the Galaxy was once bright and warm, all of a sudden everything was black and cold. The only other Force sensitives left felt like flashes of lightning.”

“When I was young, I heard that Jedi would be hunted down. They had betrayed the Republic and the Empire… how did you escape?” Luke wondered.

“... The Empire hunted us down by sensing our connection to the Force. But mine was damaged. I felt like… I had locked myself away into my own inner world. I couldn't even feel the Force anymore.”

“Inner world?”

“When I meditate, it feels like I go somewhere else, deep inside myself.”

“Like when I meditated with the crystals?” Luke asked for clarification. Cal nodded and offered the space beside him. Luke moved to occupy the space and settled on his knees to relax with Cal.

“You don't need to use a crystal to meditate like that, open yourself up to the Force and let it fill you…” Cal instructed calmly, his breath steady and slow. Luke mimicked him and let the songs on the wind flow through him. He wasn't at the top of a mountain anymore. The sky was dark and grey, wrecks of ships floated above his head. Around him, and Cal, heavy slabs of black stone with glyphs carved into them floated a few metres off the ground, connected to Cal through radiating lines drawn in the cold and grey sand.

“Cal, is this you?” Luke's voice echoed in the silent air. Cal nodded.

“Bracca,” was all he said. Luke knew of the planet but had never been, from what Han told him, it was even worse than the undercity of Corellia which was about tied with Tatooine.

It was quiet in Cal's inner world, the noise from Korba's mountains couldn't distract him in the space, he could focus on what he really needed. He closed his eyes and let the Force around them swirl around and penetrate him. The ship wrecks and dark sky fell away until all that was left was cool sand and two burning lights, there was a sun before him and within himself.

And finally, a quiet voice rang clear.

“I hear something,” Luke announced. He felt Cal's green eyes on him.

A deep breath of mountain air.

He could feel the crystal out there somewhere.

“I can hear my aunt calling for me,” he said shakily, remembering her warm and caring voice. Slowly, he opened his eyes again and quickly wiped a tear from his cheek, his limbs woke up one by one. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon.

“We’d ought to answer her, then,” Cal suggested cheerfully. They repacked their things and scarfed down a few ration bars. Cal swallowed some pills that BD-1 dispensed for him dry.

Then, dutifully, BD-1 pattered over to Luke, dancing around his feet as Luke walked out of the old homestead, listening for the crystal that called his name. Luke toed at the edge of the cliff, the sun warm on his face and pointed out into the far distance. Eagerly, BD-1 climbed onto Luke's shoulder and offered his lenses as macrobinoculars. With a nod from Cal, Luke peered through BD-1’s visor. Out there, among the green trees and white stones, he heard the crystal sing. He marked the approximate location with a beacon and BD-1 opened his holomap to view the whole province. The marker Luke had placed was in an uncharted region of the little droid's map, though that didn't deter the explorer one bit. They made their way through the mountain spires again; their pace quicker this time, racing the sun and spurred on by the prospect of finding Luke's crystal.

At long last, they came to the mouth of a cave, the songs of crystals poured from the opening like a wailing maw. Cal traced the entrance with his eyes, the edges were smoothed, like a door had been carved out of the mouth, with symbols etched into the stone.

“This was a Jedi Temple,” Cal gasped as BD-1 turned on his headlamp and they peered into the temple entrance. “I sense something Dark in there, maybe what Merrin warned us about.” Luke couldn't sense anything except a cacophony of different songs, all battling each other to be heard. Luke took a step forward. Cal suddenly grabbed his wrist before he could walk past the threshold. “You will be tested and it could be dangerous,” he warned before allowing BD-1 to climb over the ginger’s shoulder, across his arm and onto Luke’s back. With an encouraging whistle, BD-1 ensured Luke he'd light the way ahead. Cal then split his lightsaber in two and offered half to Luke, “in case you need to protect yourself.”

Luke felt as if he’d swallowed one of R2D2’s gears as Cal placed the lightsaber in his hands. His palm became sweaty against the rubber grip as he remembered Yoda’s warning before he entered the cave on Dagobah.

“I feel like I shouldn’t somehow,” Luke admitted anxiously.

“With luck, you won’t have to ignite it,” Cal assured him. Ben’s words echoed loudly in his head, ‘there’s no such thing as luck.’ Luke took a breath and clipped it to his belt. The voices of different Jedi, different songs, swirled chaotically in his head. He had to trust himself.

He stepped forward and soon left Cal behind. Deep in the cave, the music of Aunt Beru’s voice called to him like a siren song, he was desperate not to lose it among the chorus of other voices as they sang, cried, wailed, shouted at him; their expectations, their hopes, their ambitions, their fears. BD-1 lit the way, his mechanical feet massaged his shoulders and kept a steady beat as they ventured further into the cave. The little droid whistled and encouraged him to push forward. With each step the words dug deeper into his bones, he wasn’t sure if this was what Ben or Yoda or Cal meant by letting the Force flow through him. Luke felt as if he were being judged again, another test, just like on Dagobah. He heard the crystals’ chime cut against the inside of his skull, what kind of Jedi were they calling out to? What kind of Jedi did they want him to be? Some of the kyber sang in voices he’d never heard before. Some voices he recognized: Ben and Yoda had put so much trust in him, such a heavy burden upon his shoulders. Han didn’t even believe in the Force. But Leia believed in him. His wingmates trusted him, he loved flying alongside Wedge and Shara, he’d follow General Syndulla’s command. Each member of Clone Force 99 had a different set of war stories about the Jedi. Vashtan’s scathing jokes hissed in his ears. Cal’s confusing terms and phrases for Jedi history and culture rang in his teeth. Every time his feet hit the dirt laden with crystal dust, he heard the mechanical breath of Darth Vader, the unrelenting cadence of his father and his declaration that his destiny was by his side.

With a loud buzz, BD-1 banished away the choir. Luke had led them into a large cavern, having followed the sound of the crystal that called his heart. BD-1 opened his projector wide, flooding the walls with cool blue light. The room had high ceilings, so high that even BD-1 couldn’t reach it. But along the walls were carvings, some were words Luke couldn’t read, others were a symbol that resembled the one embroidered onto Cal’s shoulders; it looked like the Rebel Starbird with wings spread wide around a star with its rays reaching to the sky. And there were statues. Hewn from the rock, deep oily tones with veins of crystals shimmering under the artificial light of BD-1’s projector. Excitedly, the little droid jumped down from Luke’s shoulder and pattered over to a statue, it looked like Ben did, in humble robes and holding a rod in its hands that was supposed to resemble a lightsaber. BD-1 switched from his projector lights to his scanning lasers, eager to observe the room around him and enter the data into his logs.

”Having fun, BD-1?” Luke called out with a chuckle as the little droid who was making his way around the room, scanning each statue and the glyphs on the walls with care. He let his eyes adjust to the dim light, the room was dark without BD-1’s light all over it, but the crystals shone like distant stars. The songs grew quiet as Luke tried to focus, straining against the walls like tight hallikset strings. He followed BD-1 around the room, his pace careful and slow until, finally, the other songs fell away leaving only one voice whose rhythm matched his heartbeat. A crystal shone bright in the dark room, brighter than the others, in the carved fingers of one of the statues.

“BD-1… I think I finally found it… I'll finally be a Jedi,” he breathed, the little droid beeped contently. It wasn't the voice of anyone who'd judged him. It wasn't even Aunt Beru's call. The crystal sang to him in a voice that was as unique as his own. Luke reached out to it and pulled.

The statue’s hand held onto the crystal and grabbed it back.

“Be careful what you wish for, boy,” a deep, bone chilling taunt rattled Luke's bones. The statue shifted and transformed before his eyes, it wasn't a noble figure in humble robes. A being of shadows and flames emerged from the stone, clad in black armour and bearing the Imperial cog on its shoulders. The most startling thing was its face: it was gaunt with stark white skin and piercing red and yellow eyes. It closed its gloved hands around his crystal, strangling its song.

“Who are you?” Luke gasped. BD-1 trilled a warning on the comms and tried to light the space around Luke as best as he could.

“I was once a Jedi, and I wielded a lightsaber like the one at your hip,” Luke noticed the hilt with a half-moon guard hanging from the figure’s belt, just like Cal's. The voice echoed against the walls, the crystals trembling in fear of death, “then I hunted Jedi in service to Darth Vader and the Emperor,” the figure regarded his own tightly closed fist, the crystal within struggling against his hold. “I serve Vader, even now. The Empire has occupied this planet, its resources belong to the Emperor. I'll kill any pathetic being who thinks they're worthy of a crystal,” a cruel smile split his face, razor sharp teeth spat at Luke, “I sense you're hardly worthy at all.”

“You're wrong,” Luke defied as he ignited Cal's lightsaber to meet the figure's burning red blade. He felt an incredible weight in his wrists, he struggled to hold Cal’s lightsaber up. The two beams crashed against each other. He hid best he could behind the red lightsaber, unable to strike back.

“You think you can be a Jedi, boy? You handle that blade like an ignorant child,” The figure taunted, he flourished his own lightsaber with one hand, the other tight fist kept his crystal at bay, “I can tell that lightsaber isn't yours. It doesn't even belong to a Jedi.”

Luke held the lightsaber up to defend himself but an agonising wail rang out; the crystal in Cal’s lightsaber shouted, staining the crystals in the walls like spilled wine. Luke clapped a hand against his ear against the stinging sound. The figure struck, Luke just barely defended against the blow, knocked off balance. His legs were suddenly swept from below him, he crashed to the ground.

“You want to be a Jedi? Then die like them,” the figure cackled and raised his lightsaber to strike. BD-1 trilled angrily and jumped between them and spat a purple, dusty substance from a generator in his head. The cloud of dust solidified into stone, freezing the figure's limbs in place as Luke got up to his feet— with an explosion of fury and flame the figure broke free of BD-1’s trap, the whole room shuddered, the crystals screaming red. The figure, with its broken body pouring flames, lashed out again. Luke retaliated. Their lightsabers met, searing light like a supernova flashed in Luke's eyes, the force of the impact felt like storming wind. And then the ground beneath his feet gave way.

Luke tumbled down deeper and deeper into the cave system, crashing and falling against rocks and stone. Until finally he came to a stop and struggled to catch his breath.

“BD-1, could use a stim right about now,” he whined, but Luke realised he was all alone. Nothing, not even the crystals in the walls called out to him. None except the one in Cal's lightsaber. His grip on the hilt tightened, “why didn't you help me?” He snapped, “He has my crystal, I can't be a Jedi without that! Why did you fight me?” Luke bemoaned before realising he was just talking to a lightsaber hilt. His hands shook, sweaty and burning against the rubber grip. “I need that crystal. Please, help me,” He closed his eyes and opened himself up to the Force, the screaming wail flooded him like a deluge.

He opened his eyes to cold and dark, like Cal's inner space before, except this time the skies were bleeding red. Cal knelt in the grey sand before him. Luke took a breath and then tentatively stepped forward— “STAY BACK!” Cal shouted and Luke recoiled, the sand shifting around him, agitated.

“Cal—

“I don't want to hurt you,” Cal apologised with a slow, shaky breath, “I always hurt people… and I let them down.”

“That's not true…” Luke sighed, “I've seen you. You're a kind person Cal, and a good Jedi—

“No Jedi should have this inside them,” Cal snarled, his eyes were like burning amber as he spread his arms wide at the space; the dark stones, the sinking sands, the wrecked ships above them and the stormy clouds in the blood soaked sky. Luke shuddered, everything around them felt cold, desolate, angry.

He took a deep breath, fighting the shiver in his spine. “You've let me inside you before, it wasn't like this,” Luke explained, “it was lonely, dark, but it was calm, too. There is good in you.”

“You must be really special, if you can see any good in me,” Cal laughed at himself.

“I want to believe there's good in me, too,” Luke admitted.

“Why wouldn't there be?” Cal asked.

The pneumatic hiss and deep, unsettling breath of Vader sprung up from the deep reaches of his mind, “Darth Vader is my father…”

“Vader does not define you,” Cal spoke up.

Luke bit his twisting lips as a retort threatened to bubble up and sputter out. He ordered the words carefully and pushed them out one at a time, “even… even if I’m his son?”

The version of Cal before him fluttered his shoulder blades as he breathed in and out, “You are Luke Skywalker, the son of Anakin Skywalker,” he said in a serious cadence, “he was a head-strong and kind-hearted Jedi Knight. He fought fiercely and loved deeply. He was a hero.”

”You looked up to him,” Luke said.

Cal nodded.

“Do you think there could still be good in Darth Vader?” Luke whispered shakily.

“If there was any goodness in him, it died along with Master Anakin Skywalker,” Cal spat, “but the memory of the kind-hearted hero he left in the Galaxy, it lives on in you,” he encouraged.

“I will have to face him again,” Luke shuddered.

“Is that what you’re most afraid of?”

Luke nodded. “I’ll have to face him… and he’s hurt so many people, caused so much suffering all these years. But no matter how much I try to justify it to myself… I just can’t think of killing him, my own father! Would I be just as bad as him if I killed him, or am I too weak to carry it out? What— what am I supposed to do!?”

His voice echoed among the otherworldly wrecks above them, metal chimes and stony groans until they sounded like the mechanical breath of Darth Vader. He could feel Cal reach out to him and direct him in a breathing exercise to calm down.

Finally, Cal said, “only you can decide what to do next,” and then, “do you still believe there may be good in Darth Vader?”

Luke felt his lower lip waver, “well I know you don’t.”

“It is not my destiny to confront him,” Cal said sternly, his amber eyes piercing deep into his soul.

“I… want to believe. If there’s good in him, there is still good in me, despite my failings,” Luke said.

“Then you must leave no room for doubt,” Cal commanded, “If you truly believe there is good in your father you must remind Vader who he really is. Give him a chance, it's what a true Jedi would do, show compassion and mercy; if you must strike, strike true, cut through the evil and darkness that surrounds Vader, with no malice in your heart.”

Luke nodded, he understood what he had to do. He breathed in stale air and with a jolt he remembered where he was, “I’m still in the cave! That figure! He still has my crystal!”

“The ghost of the Grand Inquisitor,” Cal sighed, “he was once a Jedi, a Temple Guard in fact. But he felt the Jedi Order was too restrictive,” a scoff, “I wonder how he feels now, chained by the Empire.”

“I will set him free,” Luke announced, with the resolve that eventually, he will do the same for Vader. Cal nodded and a small smile spread across his lips then—

Cal sprung up, kicking up sand and crossing the void between them in an instant, an invisible wind rushed behind him and Luke heard a screaming crystal ignite— Cal, the real one, caught the Grand Inquisitor's blade with his shoto lightsaber. White hot sparks sputtered above Luke’s head where the two red blades met. Luke blinked as he returned to reality, Cal had rushed to his aid, BD-1 chirping excitedly from the ginger’s back that Luke had woken up as well. Like a crash of thunder, Cal pushed against the Inquisitor. The ghostly figure retaliated, embers and flame spilling from each vicious slash Cal opened up in his ethereal body. The Inquisitor fell back to gather his bearings, his red eyes probing him and Luke, searching for an opening. The beam of Cal’s lightsaber held firm to guard Luke from the Inquisitor’s piercing gaze.

“Cal Kestis, the Rebellion’s dirty little secret,” the Grand Inquisitor’s mouth opened in a wide, cruel laugh, his razor sharp teeth seemed to cut the very air, “what are you doing here? Do you think you’re worthy of a crystal to replace the one you tortured?”

The ginger held his lightsaber up proudly against the wailing crystals in the walls. “I guess I’m doing your old job, guiding the next generation of Jedi to fight against the darkness,” he teased playfully as BD-1 cheered from his shoulder.

”Neither of you are worthy of the title of Jedi,” the Inquisitor snapped.

Luke ignited his half of Cal’s lightsaber, the weight felt balanced in his hands, “We can take him on together.”

”He thrives on your fear,” Cal warned, “do not relent.”

With renewed vigour, Luke sprung into action, right behind Cal as the ginger Jedi struck. A star exploded as their blades met and Cal was knocked away. Luke quickly followed up with his own attack, cutting through little more than flame and ash. With a growl, a second beam ignited from the Inquisitor’s lightsaber, immediately burning the ground between their feet. The sound of a winding engine screeched and suddenly the tension unspooled— the Grand Inquisitor’s lightsaber spun rabidly like deadly fan blades. An upward torrent, Luke nearly avoided the blaze, he felt heat on his nose. No matter where Cal and Luke tried to strike from, the Inquisitor’s spinning, double blade whirred to defend himself. Luke heard crumbling stone and a crystalline screech, with a wave of his hand, the Inquisitor sent chunks of stone at him. Cal managed to divert some from their path but one swept Luke off his feet and he tumbled to the ground. A crushing weight fell on top of his leg.

“Luke!” Cal cried. A sound like a whip rang through the cavern and the Inquisitor was pushed away at the same time as the boulder pinning Luke down began to lift. BD-1 cried for Luke to get away. Luke screamed as blood rushed through his limbs like burning nails.

The Inquisitor retaliated at Cal like an inferno, “you can't save him!”

Another pulse of the Force moved through the cavern like a tide as Cal screamed. The boulder was thrust towards the Inquisitor; the rock phased through burning embers as the Inquisitor laughed and pursued Luke again, his legs wouldn't move— he was just able to roll out of the way of the red blade before Cal was between them again. He struck. A flash. The Inquisitor seethed. Cal kicked at the Inquisitor's legs, slashed, then punched him in the face twice in quick succession. Their red blades spat flames as they locked, a nebula burned in their eyes, “I won't let you hurt any more Jedi,” Cal swore.

“You've been a persistent thorn in the Empire's side for too long,” the Inquisitor croned, “but I know how to deal with you.”

The Inquisitor threw something from his hand, a cloud of black, sparkling dust, into Cal's face. Cal quickly retaliated, a wave of the Force pushed the Inquisitor's blade away. He coughed as he staggered backwards, eyes frantic and wide; BD-1 whistled loudly on his back as he let out a desperate cry of “BD! Call Merrin, I’m having—!” Cal tried to warn as he lowered himself onto his knees. He choked on his words as he settled onto the ground and his arms grew stiff at his sides. An electric screech, BD-1 climbed up the Inquisitor's leg and sent a bolt of electricity through the murderous figure. With a yelp, the Inquisitor grabbed the little droid and threw him across the cavern, plastoid and metal clattered among the rocks.

“Cal!!” Luke screamed as he fought the pain in his legs to struggle to stand. The Inquisitor recovered first, red blade flooding the whole cavern with blood.

“What a humiliating way to die, succumbing to your own power,” the Inquisitor sneered at Cal, his body was stiff, his back and limbs became as heavy and unmoving as metal rods. His fingers flexed and twitched sporadically, his eyes roved around rapidly behind his eyelids as his jaw clenched tight like he was holding back a scream.

The Inquisitor raised his lightsaber high, “I will relish in vanquishing you, your defeat will make me legendary!”

“No!!” Luke screamed, he stood up against the glass in his bones, he needed to be brave and strong; he needed to keep fighting and protect Cal, one of the last Jedi in the Galaxy: he didn’t want to be alone. He needed to put his whole heart into the next blow, he couldn’t let the Grand Inquisitor land that hit. With a courageous roar, Luke sent a thunderous wave of the Force at the Grand Inquisitor, and with a blast, hot orange flames spread across his body where the deluge hit him.

“WHAT?!” the Grand Inquisitor gasped, stumbling on his burning feet, flames threatened to engulf his body, Luke was on his feet and dashed forward, the Force singing in his veins as Jaro Tapal, Trilla Suduri, Eno Cordova, Ben Kenobi, Yoda guided his hand and he sliced through the Inquisitor’s wrist and the wicked lightsaber was flung away— the Inquisitor wailed and gripped the flaming stump of his wrist, his ethereal form didn't stitch together again. “NO!!!” the Inquisitor screamed in shock and pain as Luke truly hurt him. Luke wound up for another swing, the power of the wind and the Force behind him as he cast a blazing arc through the cavern. This was what the Jedi did: his destiny wasn't just to fight the Darkness, but to protect those in need. Cal needed him now, and he would strike true.

A blinding flash and Luke cut through the illusion, the flames that made up the Inquisitor's body sputtered and died as he cried out in agony one last time. Cooling embers fell like dust before Luke as the Grand Inquisitor’s ghost was exorcised, and the tiny crystal that led him there floated gently into his palms. It sang like the wind rushing past him as he flew in his X-Wing and felt as warm as his friends on the Millenium Falcon. With a breath, a bright light spread throughout its crystal facets and radiated a fresh green throughout the cavern. His crystal. He’d finally found his own crystal. The Force whispered a cold wind through him as he remembered where he was.

BD-1 whistled frantically as Cal choked and coughed. “Cal!” Luke was at the other’s side in an instant, BD-1 whistled quickly to help clear the space around him. The ginger's limbs jerked sporadically against his own joints. “Help me lie down.”

Luke almost didn't catch the words until he caught Cal starting to sway to one side. He helped lower the Jedi slowly to the ground. BD-1 directed Luke to move rocks out of the way of Cal's limbs and head. Luke unzipped his jacket and folded it, carefully stuffing it under Cal's head to cushion it. His eyes were still racing inside his skull, his skin pale against the black dust on his face.

“BD-1, it's that stuff!” Luke cried as he tried to wipe the substance off Cal's face and out of his beard. The dust resembled iron filings, some were curling and all were razor sharp as they cut into Luke's palms leaving tiny nicks and scratches. He wondered for a moment if he'd suddenly fall over too, was this poison?

Finally, the force that seized Cal's body began to ebb, and BD-1 scurried under one of Cal's arms, Cal's fingers struggling to wrap around the droid's little body.

“Captain Skywalker?” Kallus crackled on the comms, “I've just received an alert from BD-1. Did Cal Kestis just have a grand mal seizure?” The little droid blinked one of his lenses at Luke.

“Yeah,” Luke stammered, a shock ran through him as he'd realised what had happened, “he did, I… I think he's coming out of it now,” Luke sighed as he tried to assess the rest of the damage in the dark room, “someone attacked us, they threw something in his face that triggered some sort of allergic reaction,” Luke explained, glancing at his own palms. They were a little bloody, but otherwise they weren't itching. Cal's reaction was fairly immediate, so thankfully he wasn't allergic to whatever this was. He carefully placed his crystal in his pocket and knelt down beside Cal.

“It's not an allergy,” Cal whined as he willed his limbs loose. BD beeped further instructions for Luke to turn Cal on his side so he wouldn't choke in case he got sick. Cal held BD-1 close, forcing his breath to calm in the comfort of the droid's presence.

“Luke, please reassure him, he may be confused as he comes out of it. He may not remember where or who he is,” Merrin warned gently, Cal's hands shook on BD-1's chassis, “we're on our way. We're sending the coordinates of a rendezvous point to BD.”

Cal blinked slowly, eyes swimming and unfocused at him, “my side hurts again,” he sighed, one hand squeezed at the flesh near his own heart.

“You just had a seizure, Cal, but you're safe now. The Grand Inquisitor is gone,” Luke assured him with a gentle tone in his voice.

“You defeated him?” Cal asked.

“He's gone. He can't hurt anyone any more.”

“Good… thank you.”

“Also… I got my lightsaber crystal.”

“Oh, yeah? What colour is it?” Cal asked excitedly, the warmth in his cheeks returned. BD-1 rattled under Cal's touch, eager to scan the little rock. Cal's irises seemed to shake rapidly as they struggled to focus on the crystal in Luke's hand, but his smile grew wide at the sight of the bright green light.

“It’s beautiful,” Cal said. He got up into a seated position against BD-1’s protests and got a closer look at the crystal. Luke pulled the crystal away and stuffed it into his pocket again, instead offering Cal his water canteen. The ginger rolled his eyes but begrudgingly drank some water.

“Cal, are you really alright?” Luke asked gently. Cal wavered slightly and Luke supported him with steady hands, “what happened? What were those iron filings?”

Cal brushed the last specks of dust from his beard with a shudder as they cut into his fingers again, “from what I saw, I'd guess they're filings from an Imperial torture chair.”

“How can you tell?” Luke wondered, they were the same painted durasteel as any Imperial installation.

“I have this ability called psychometry…” Cal admitted, “people's thoughts and emotions, events in history, they all get woven into the Force and I can tap into that energy when I touch an object,” he flicked an iron filing away from his neck, “or when it touches me.”

“You can see into the past,” Luke gasped, “no wonder you know so much about history.”

“It's fun… sometimes. Sometimes it isn't… I think I swallowed some, that's probably not good.”

“Then let's get you back to the Mantis,” Luke suggested as they both got up to their feet. Luke flinched against a sharp pain in his ankle, Cal supported his weight, “I’m feeling really sore,” Luke groaned as BD-1 jabbed healing stims into the meat of both their shoulders. They followed BD-1’s headlight through the tunnels, the song of crystals in the walls were quieter now that Luke could focus on his own melody.

“When you fell over, Cal, you kind of scared me,” Like admitted as they squeezed through a passage, trying to find their way to the surface, “but I remembered what Master Kenobi and Cordova told me, about bravery and persistence, fighting against the darkness for those who can't on their own.”

“Thanks, you saved my life back there,” Cal chuckled and gave him a warm smile. BD-1 joked that he's still Cal's best friend and nothing Luke can do will change that. Luke laughed.

“I… I found my confidence thanks to you,” Luke said as Cal used the Force to lift some rubble above their heads so Luke could pass by. He wanted to learn how to do that.

“Kestis, Captain Skywalker, we've seen some more TIE patrols flying around,” Kallus chimed in on the comms, “we've landed on a mountain just out of range of their outpost. It seems the Empire still has some active presence near their old mining operations,” he warned sharply.

“I wonder what they could be doing here,” Luke wondered as they stumbled out of the cave and into the open mountain air.

“I think I know,” Cal said flatly as he pointed towards a valley between two mountain spires; a mining facility had filled the valley like a durasteel tumour, complete with a hangar bay, communication tower and what looked like hundreds and hundreds of crates getting loaded into cargo shuttles. Luke swore and ducked into some bushes for cover as Cal and BD-1 carefully made their way to the edge of the cliff. Cal made a gesture and held one arm out in front of him that the droid then used as a perch. As the two of them observed the facility, Cal's fist grew tighter, his knuckles growing white hot. BD-1 rumbled in angry beeps and tones, the lights on the back of his head even flashed red for a moment.

“You’re right, BD. Just like on Ilum,” Cal's voice scraped against the mountain air, like claws on Luke's eardrums.

“What's happening?” Luke asked.

“Kestis, what's going on? Report!” Kallus barked into the comms.

“Follow Kallus' directions to the Mantis, Luke,” Cal instructed as BD-1 crawled over Cal's shoulder and clung closely to his back, “When I'm done with the place I'll just steal one of those shuttles and rendezvous with the crew later.”

“Wait… What are you saying?” Luke quipped, “you're not going to storm that facility on your own, are you?”

But the burning determination in Cal's eyes told Luke, yes, he was absolutely planning too.

“You don't know what's in there, how many there are—”

“I can tell, I can sense almost each and every one of those damned stormtroopers in there,” Cal snapped.

“You just had a seizure, Cal,” Luke reasoned.

“Technically, I have multiple absent seizures every day,” Cal dismissed.

“That's not the point, are you really going to fight everyone in there?” Luke pulled on Cal's arm but he wrenched it away quickly, his burning eyes scanning the mountainsides for a pathway down to the facility.

“I've done it before,” Cal muttered under his breath. BD-1 whirred anxiously, wound close to his back.

“Cal, return to the Mantis, please,” Moran demanded on the comms.

“Cal Kestis,” Merrin called.

“Do you honestly want me to just walk away from this,” Cal cried, a streak of amber flashed in his reddening eyes, “the Empire will do terrible things with those crystals—”

“You don't know that—” Luke argued.

“I do know!” Cal yelled back, “the Empire had devoured Christophsis, Sonos, Utapau, Hy Izlan, they destroyed Jedha and they have desecrated Ilum! All to make the kriffing Death Star! Why are they here on Korba? To make another weapon?!”

“If you really think that, Cal Kestis, then we need to be absolutely sure,” Kallus scolded through the comms, “we need reconnaissance, we need to know their numbers. We have to cut their supply lines and ensure they can't take this planet back after you destroy that facility.”

Cal’s hands were in his hair, tugging at the choppy ginger locks as his eyes scrunched up tight against the voices of his friends. He took a deep breath of mountain air and held it, and exhaled slowly. Again he breathed in and as he held his breath he slowly let his hand fall upon his lightsaber hilt. He toyed at the rubber grip as he exhaled.

“Cal?” Luke called.

“I think I understand now,” Cal sighed, “I understand what Master Yoda meant… about taking the quick and easy path,” he let out another breath, “Patience. I need… patience…”

“Come back to the Mantis with me, Cal,” Luke said gently, “I don't want to leave you alone out here.”

Cal nodded and BD-1 danced on his back as they made their way towards the Mantis, leaning on each other's shoulders. According to BD-1’s map, it was perched on a rocky outcropping near the peak of a mountain. Luke couldn't see it, except for a shimmering smear against the stone and sky.

“I'm sorry I yelled at you,” Cal said as they approached.

Luke blinked and nodded, “thank you,” and then, “these crystals mean a lot to you, don't they?”

“They were sacred to the Jedi,” Cal sighed, “let's just say I'm sick and tired of seeing our culture twisted and perverted by the Empire.”

“When we have reconnaissance and a plan… I'll help you here,” Luke said, a burning determination in his eyes.

“You have Flight Command and your Jedi training to worry about,” Cal said.

”Then join me?” Luke asked.

“…I’ll think about it,” Cal smiled as the loading ramp of the Mantis revealed itself, like a sheet of green flames burning away the invisible veneer. Kallus gave a sigh of relief at the sight of them and helped them up the ramp into the Mantis. Once they were safely inside, Merrin helped Luke with his leg with bacta patches. Soon, Moran activated the ship's repulsor lifts and they were flying through the atmosphere towards open space.

“I need to make a report about what the Empire is doing here and make a request for a reconnaissance mission,” Cal said, scratching his head at the kitchen table with a datapad in front of him, “who would I report to though? I'm not part of the Rebellion anymore.”

“It was Commander Wedge Antilles that originally hired you as a civilian consultant, you should report to him, right?” Merrin suggested.

“But then it would go to General Syndulla,” Cal groaned.

“Report to Commander Draven, your old CO,” Kallus suggested.

“Ugh, but then I'd have to report to Caern Adan as well, and we aren't exactly on speaking terms,” Cal grimaced as Kallus slapped a hand to his face. The two intelligence agents took up a corner of the kitchen to go over the report.

“Congratulations on finding your crystal, Luke Skywalker,” Merrin said as he felt the pull of hyperspace wash over them, “I hear it was once a Rite of Passage for young Jedi. You are well on your way of becoming a Knight.”

“Thank you,” Luke smiled as he felt the warmth in his pocket. He wanted to hear it sing, insert it into a lightsaber hilt and see the beam it would produce. Merrin, satisfied with Luke's leg, instructed Vashtan and BX-9 to lead him into the engine room where there was a worktable. Cal kept a variety of lightsaber parts and components there, and BX-9 informed him of the different kinds of materials and designs Jedi used in lightsaber construction. Vashtan toyed with different emitters and grips, explaining that even the shape of the hilt could cater to a Jedi’s particular fighting style, defensive or aggressive, quick strikes or strong strokes. Different designs could also be better suited to deflect bolts vs melee combat, but their words sailed through Luke's ears. He didn't have any particular fighting style he wanted his lightsaber to cater to yet and he didn't know enough about Jedi philosophy to inform him on a design either. He thought of Cal's lightsaber, which wasn't catered to one Jedi's style because it reflected so many different people in his life. Luke knew what kind of design he wanted for his lightsaber, and he chose the parts that had only existed in his memories and dreams until that moment.

“Slender design, good balance,” Cal inspected his newly forged lightsaber, turning it over and over, carefully in his hands. It floated a few inches above his palm as Cal inspected its inner workings with the Force, “these additional cycling field energisers will produce a stellar blade, strong and reliable. But you must maintain and clean it regularly. Not a problem for you I suppose, you like tinkering around, don't you?” Cal twirled the lightsaber in his hands with a smirk. It had a sleek profile, a polished alloy hilt with the power strip and a grip of metal bands painted silver and black. The emitter had a long neck that ended in a wide flare, made of silver alloy and Haysian smelt components. “It seems familiar somehow…”

“I was inspired by Ben, I mean Master Kenobi,” Luke admitted.

“He is a good Jedi to follow,” Echo commended.

“What colour is it?” Wedge and Omega shoved each other to get a good look at it.

“I heard that if you assemble a lightsaber incorrectly, it can explode if you ignite it,” Commander Kes Dameron explained through a grin. The curious faces of onlooking pilots and pathfinders took a healthy pace back from Luke. Chopper warbled excitedly from behind Zeb’s legs, wondering how large the blast radius would be.

Cal continued his inspection of the lightsaber, testing the weight and judging the polish of the materials in his hands. Finally, he offered the hilt back to Luke, “congratulations, you forged your own lightsaber. But your lightsaber is more than just a weapon; it is your life. It is a sign that you are a Jedi, wear it proudly.”

Luke held it in his hands and found comfort in its weight. He felt like he was holding his own heart.

”Well, Luke, let’s see it,” Leia encouraged softly.

With a soft huff, Luke stepped back and held the lightsaber level with his waist and thumbed at the switch on the hilt. A triumphant cry as it sparked to life for the first time, it was a brilliant and bright green that hummed in rhythm with his own heartbeat. Luke felt everyone's eyes on him, on the glowing beam of his lightsaber and he knew that the Rebels had their Jedi back.

“Are you going to try it out?” Omega challenged.

Everyone cleared a space for Luke and a set of remotes. They fired. He was in perfect sync with the blade, it hardly felt like a tool at all, but an extension of himself. He deflected all the bolts with grace.

“Well let's see you fight with it,” Omega cheered from the sidelines.

Luke let his eyes fall onto Cal, he could find him easily in the crowd despite everyone else around them having their eyes trained on his lightsaber. Merrin held him close and whispered something in his ear, a look passed between them, a communication only they understood. The brightest smile Luke had ever seen on Cal's face slowly spread under his beard as he looked at her. BD-1 beeped and climbed off of Cal's back and over his shoulder to sit in Merrin's arms. Cal took her pale, tattooed hand in his own and kissed it with a quiet, “Thank you.”

Then he stepped over the boundary towards Luke, he unhooked the large lightsaber from his hip, “Alright, I accept your challenge, Luke,” Cal said with a grin, “but let's make this a little more exciting with a wager.”

Luke readjusted his stance as Cal sauntered casually around the makeshift arena, a tide of anticipation slowly spread across the waiting pilots and other rebel fighters from the Pathfinders, Green squadron, Red squadron, Clone Force 99, the Mantis and Ghost crews.

“Tournament rules, Force abilities within reason, first to inflict three burns wins. If I win, General Hera Syndulla has to apologise to me,” Cal announced and Luke could feel her gaze from the crowd like the heat of Tatooine’s suns. “If you win,” Cal said slowly as he fiddled with the lightsaber in his own hands, his pace meticulous until they were standing mere feet apart from each other and if Luke focused, he could count every freckle on Cal's face, “I will train you as a Jedi.”

A flame sparked in Luke's chest, hotter and brighter than any outburst of anger had before. This was what passion felt like, the path to become a Jedi felt so clear with the prospect of Cal guiding him.

“Do you agree to those terms?”

“I know what I want, I accept,” Luke said loudly. Hunter and General Syndulla stepped forward to act as referees as R2 and Chopper drew a solid boundary line around the arena. Luke twisted a knob on his lightsaber, he knew every tiny gear and lens in it now, adjusting its intensity to produce a warm sting instead of a searing rend. At each end of the arena, the Jedi stood facing each other and then bowed. Luke ignited his lightsaber again, a solid green that chimed like the wind through lush trees.

Cal, in turn, flourished the extra long hilt, longer than even the Grand Inquisitor's, the half-moon guard spun in a mesmerising arc between his two hands. He held it horizontally in one hand level with his hip, one end ignited with a scream, the blade a deep and solid crimson. And then with another shrill cry, another blade erupted from the other end of the lightsaber, revealing its true form: a light staff. Cal shot him a grin that tugged at his scars. Luke wouldn't be intimidated by the display, he'd already seen the Grand Inquisitor's spinning monstrosity. He exhaled and lunged forward with a determined first strike.

The weight of the green lightsaber was comfortable in his hands granting the blade balance and strength. Cal knocked him back, Luke struck again, then again. Cal kept up his guard, a star exploded between them with each blow. Sparks flew as Cal met Luke's blade, the red beams arc’d back and forth to guard against Luke's green slashes. With two red beams, Cal's defence was impenetrable. Luke matched his pace with Cal's as they danced around the arena, sparks flying. His lightsaber was in perfect sync with his body and thoughts. Luke counted Cal's steps, his footwork as measured and deliberate as last time, the trailing light like a dozen half moons. He had to find a gap somewhere. Luke caught a downward swing, their blades locked, the heat of a sun grew between their faces. A flash of passion. Luke beat back against the searing glow. Cal surged forward to retaliate, red blade a crimson dawn, Luke dodged. A blow to his temple from Cal's elbow and another blood red arc— Luke just barely managed to evade as he felt the lightsaber’s heat on his nose. He heard the cry of Kestis screeching towards him again. Like answering a song that called to him, he reached out with the Force and sent a wave towards Cal, knocking his opponent back on his feet. Like slipping a new note between chords, Luke struck Cal, burning his wrist before the next beat.

Wedge jumped with a whoop as Hunter and Hera awarded the first point to Luke. Cal stepped backwards from Luke and the blond took several paces away so he could catch his breath.

Cal stood up straight and smiled, his lightsaber held at an angle to act as a guard as he spoke loud enough so his voice would carry across the arena, “you've improved considerably since our last spar, how does that lightsaber feel in your hands now?”

When Luke had used half of Cal's lightsaber, it was a bit heavy, but at times, felt little more significant to him than a blaster would. But with his own lightsaber between both his palms, the weight just felt right. “Feels like a part of me,” Luke observed.

“A Jedi, their lightsaber and the Force are all intertwined,” Cal said, flourishing his lightsaber in a way that the hilt seemed to dance and float around his hands. Luke was mesmerised. He felt the scold before he heard it— ‘don’t let your guard down!’

Luke threw his blade up, a light bloomed against his eyelids. The rhythm Cal set was unforgiving, each attack came twofold. Each strike was hotter and harder than a starfighter crash and Luke was caught up in the swirling energy. He struggled to keep his feet under him, Cal struck and broke his guard. The red blade screamed towards him before he could counter— the world seemed to slow down as he felt a sunburn growing on his torso but Luke wouldn’t falter: his body, his blade, his willpower pushed forward and just managed to pierce Cal's poncho, the point of his green lightsaber sunk into the ginger's shoulder. Cal rolled away from the point of contact and Luke likewise retreated to recover. He wiped sweat from his brow.

“Double hit!” Hunter called. He looked to General Syndulla whose lips were pulled into a tight line.

“Who hit first?” Wedge cried, confused. The two referees announced they'd have to deliberate if a point could be awarded.

“Had this been a real duel we may have both lost our lives,” Cal said, his voice carried loudly through the hangar as he rolled his shoulder, “I admire your persistence, but there is no honour in receiving a blow to deliver one. You, Luke Skywalker, are one of the last Jedi in the Galaxy; there is a great legacy upon your shoulders.”

Luke rubbed at the burn on his torso, committing Cal’s words to his tender skin.

“Your life is precious, do not throw it away in a duel. You must live,” Cal commanded, raising his lightsaber high, the two beams seemed to cut through air and space itself, “your lightsaber is more than just a weapon, it can also be a shield; but the Force is your most reliable ally.” Cal stepped forward and lowered his lightsaber with his arm outstretched until the red point hovered a mere inch from Luke’s heart. “Understand the reach of your opponent’s weapon and their capabilities, trust in the Force and your instincts. Do you understand?”

Luke nodded and the blade was lifted away. He squeezed the grip of his lightsaber, wondering how Ben and Cal must have felt duelling against Vader’s red blade. How he would have to experience that kind of power and devastation again.

“Point Kestis,” Hunter awarded Cal the round. They had an equal score now, but Luke wouldn't let himself believe they were evenly matched. Hunter opened the round again and the two combatants resumed the duel with fire under their feet. Stars exploded as they met and their blades crashed together. Luke’s lightsaber was like a green comet against Cal’s blurring red moons. He had to find a gap somewhere. Luke caught a downward swing, their blades locked, the heat of a sun grew between their faces. A Crack! Cal knocked their foreheads together and Luke stumbled, dazed. Less than a fraction of a second later, Luke had to roll out of the way of the red gale. He got his feet under him again and then, Luke felt the Force guide his hand. With an upward slash, the point of Luke's lightsaber met the centre of Cal's hilt; a burst of white light, and the lightstaff split in two. Keeping his momentum, Cal retaliated with a strike, then a stab with one hand. Luke just managed to dodge it. The twin sabers flowed like vipers, their vicious attacks chased him around the arena two-fold. With a thunderous crash, the two blades sunk into the floor and the force of their bite pushed Luke backwards as he dodged. He let his blade twirl in his hand, one more strike before he rolled out of range of Cal, a burn on the ginger’s ankle. In less than a blink, Cal had retreated halfway across the arena and out of the reach of Luke’s lightsaber before the blond could strike again.

“Point Luke!” General Syndulla cried and Wedge gave a loud cheer, Luke was at advantage. One more strike and he could win. Both combatants were panting with heaving lungs and pumping shoulders, Luke wiped sweat from his brow with his sleeve as Cal flourished the lightsabers in his hands, careful to keep his wrists loose.

“This is a close match,” Cal complimented.

“Like you said, I’m a fast learner. You’d better keep up when you teach me.”

“I do admire your confidence,” Cal smiled.

Luke charged forward and Cal’s feet matched his pace and then— Cal flung the shoto lightsaber from his hand. Luke blocked it with his own, then Cal closed the distance between them— fire raced down from his shoulder to his hip. “Point Kestis!” Luke couldn’t get away, Cal wouldn’t let him put distance between them again. Cal’s shoto remained in the air, the Force sang and it swirled around them like an eddie in a current. Luke felt lightning in his heart as he dodged and evaded Cal’s attacks, he couldn’t get hit, he couldn’t let this opportunity slip away!

Sparks flew, crystals screeched as they duelled and danced within the closing circle that the flying shoto blade set. Mid-swing, Cal changed the tempo of his rhythm, his painted red strokes turned into determined stabs. Luke scrambled to avoid the point, one more point, that’s all he needed. The Force rang a warning in his ear and he brought his blade up just as Cal’s shoto came careening towards him. A star exploded as he parried the sneak attack and knocked the errant lightsaber away, the red beam left tumbling until an ethereal wind caught it again. Cal held his primary lightsaber up high, the shoto blade rejoined it as another pommel flew from Cal’s hip to piece it all together. With a deep thrum the two small fins on Cal’s emitter fell open like deadly flower petals and with a sharp screech, two small red flares sprouted as the main beam grew by more than half its original length. It took every nerve in Luke’s body to move out of the way of the wicked cross and the searing wind it left in its wake. He brought up his green lightsaber to defend against the next attack—USELESS. The extra powerful red blade cut straight through his defences. He didn’t even see Cal’s elbow before it cracked against his temple and his guard was obliterated. Then there was that familiar, stinging warmth by his torso and he knew who’d scored the final point.

He forced his chin up and met Cal’s eyes, as green as his own lightsaber, the ginger’s steady hand on his shoulder as the blade extinguished. The burn lingered. Luke felt his feet give way below him. Cal’s steady hands guided him to the floor.

“That’s the match!” Hunter called as the pilots and rebels cheered both their names. Luke’s heart was racing between his lungs as he sat on the floor, head spinning and ears swimming as Wedge and the other pilots of red squadron surrounded him and pat him on the back and ruffled his hair in consolation of losing to a duelist like Cal Kestis. Luke barely registered a flash of orange and green as General Syndulla approached the winner.

“Kestis,” she called, both their stances straight and stiff, though Cal tried to soften his eyes, “Cal Kestis, I—”

“You don’t have to say anything General,” Cal said, his voice low and calm, “That was unfair of me. And I’m sure neither of us want to hear empty words. I don’t want an apology if I have to force it out of your mouth. Just forget the whole wager thing.”

General Syndulla crossed her arms and let her lips pull taut, “You are a skilled duelist. I’ll give you that.”

”You’re an excellent pilot, and leader,” Cal offered.

A green dimple formed in her cheek as she allowed herself a small smile. Then she turned to Luke, still on the floor, “take the rest of the day off to rest and heal. I think you've got some work ahead of you.” She shot over her shoulder as she returned to what remained of the Ghost crew, slowly, the other pilots and crews dispersed until just Luke, Leia and Wedge remained.

Merrin came over with BD-1 on her shoulder, and planted a kiss on Cal's cheek as the little droid took his place on Cal's back.

“I thought you'd let him win,” Merrin teased, the words brushing against Cal's ginger locks. BD-1 whistled excitedly as he danced on Cal's shoulder blades.

“No, Luke gave it his all. He deserved mine as well,” Cal said.

Metal fingers gleamed at Luke as Cal offered a hand and pulled him to his feet. Cal’s steady hands and paced breath helped ground him again, and his heartbeat finally began to calm down, the burns in his torso ebbing away until he’d go to the med bay.

“You fought well,” Cal said.

”Not well enough, I guess I'll have to ask Master Yoda to teach me some of that,” Luke sighed.

“Perhaps, or…” Cal's hand reached out behind his right ear at a lock of golden hair and inspected it. "Your hair isn't long enough for a Padawan braid, but we'll work with what we've got," Cal said. His eyes were clear, as bright and determined as Luke's own green lightsaber.

“There's that word again,” Luke twisted his tongue around its unfamiliar syllables, “Padawan. What does it really mean?”

"It comes from the Old Tongue, it's the rank for young Jedi in the Order as they learn the ways of the Jedi under a Master," Cal said as if reading from a holobook. Luke blinked moisture from his eyes as he comprehended what Cal was saying, “it can mean ‘student’, ‘learner’... ‘Apprentice’”.

"Wait, so do you mean—" Luke stammered as he tried to meet Cal's eyes. His beard did little to hide the smirk on his face, for once, his eyes crinkled as he smiled.

“I tried to tell myself I couldn't fight for the Rebellion anymore. I’m good at fighting, but it would take me away from my archeology, my work,” Cal admitted slowly, “but I figured… if I took you on as my Apprentice, taught you the ways of the Force, our history and culture, then I could have both.” he gave a small laugh as he stepped away and rubbed the back of his neck, “sorry if that sounds selfish of me.”

“No! No of course not! Cal, I think there's a lot I can learn from you!” Luke stammered, hoping his voice hadn't cracked in front of Leia and Wedge. For once he was glad Han wasn't around, he'd never stop teasing him about this… but Luke wanted to become a Jedi so he could protect the ones he loved from the Empire. Cal understood that in a way Yoda didn't. “Please, please teach me.”

“If that is where your heart truly leads you, then I will do my best to train you,” Cal announced. “Rest well today, Luke. You've got a lot of work starting tomorrow.”

"Thank you! Master Kestis," Luke added the last part belatedly, though Cal's smile wavered as it escaped his lips.

"Just ‘Cal’ is fine," Cal said with a shrug.

Luke nodded and released a great sigh. His heart was warm, the fire relit within him, he thought it would burst. A Padawan. He was really a Padawan. He'd be a Jedi.

"Thank you, Cal," he smiled at his new Master, eager to learn. As Cal and Merrin retreated into the Mantis, Leia and Wedge hugged and rubbed his shoulders.

“You're going to be a Jedi!” Wedge cheered.

“Are you happy?” Leia asked and Luke felt a song rise in his heart. He wouldn't have this without them both.

“Yes,” Luke confided as he looked them both in the eyes, “thank you.”