Escape from Jabiim

"You're improving at a faster rate, Cal." Obi-Wan commented as they sparred.

While they were traveling back to Jabiim, Cal and Obi-Wan had decided Cal needed a good sparring partner who could keep him in control rather than droids. Obi-Wan was happy to assist all the way he could. He had failed Anakin, once, and along with him, Master Qui-Gon, but now it would seem Master Qui-Gon had given him a second chance to redeem his failure with Cal.

Cal had great promise as a Jedi Knight- No, Cal should have been a Jedi Master. Perhaps after Obi-Wan took him to Yoda, Yoda would be willing to grant him the title of a Master.

"I'm starting to recall how I fought back then, and now I'm trying to implement those techniques normally without using the Dark Side." Cal stated as he attacked Obi-Wan with spinning strikes from his double-bladed saber and aptly blocked Obi-Wan's counters, before returning to using dual-sabers. They had both agreed that if Cal were to ever fight Vader again, they would need to engage in these all-out training sessions, and Obi-Wan could use some help to develop his technique in case they ever battled again.

The double-bladed saber, when used by Cal, seemed to be particularly compatible with defense, Soresu and Shien techniques applied well and complimented by the size of the sword. As for Cal's Jar'Kai technique, he made often use of Form IV and Form V, with a special emphasis on the Djem So style, for dual-wielding techniques, emphasizing on constant offense while retaining the ability to counter and deliver devastating retaliations. 

"You beat me last time. It seems you've gotten back in much shape, Obi-Wan." Cal commented with a smile as he avoided Obi-Wan's counters after the "formal" Jedi Master effectively countered Cal's attacks before returning with several Djem So jabs.

"Well, while you were much more physically amplified by the Force in that state, you lacked all of your concentration, even if the brutality in your technique more than made up for it against those soldiers. Here, you're sharpening and tooling your moves to refine your fighting style, so the difference would be obvious." Obi-Wan commented.

Cal was much different than Anakin when they sparred, patient, cautious, and sincerely wanting to learn, whereas Anakin was impatient and aggressive, and Obi-Wan hoped that Cal would one day be acknowledged as a Jedi Master proper. It was a mistake to not support Anakin more in the Council, Obi-Wan had to admit, and he wondered if things would have changed if the Jedi had made it clear how valuable Anakin was. 

"You did well, Cal. I daresay you would be a decent challenge for Vader now." Obi-Wan said as the Mantis began to indicate they were close to Jabiim, their spar having ended in a stalemate.

"Thank you, Master Obi-Wan." Cal said humbly as he bowed his head. 

"Don't call me Master, Cal. After this, we got a meeting to hold with Master Yoda." Obi-Wan said with a smile as Cal's eyes widened.

"When we meet him, rest assured you will become a true Jedi Master. It's about time, since you have proven you deserved the title."

Cal smiled a bit before looking down. "I- I don't know, Obi-Wan. I could still feel-"

"Anakin too once had those same problems, you know. He struggled with self-worth and a desperate desire to be there for everyone. He wasn't the fearless "Hero With No Fear" as he was made to be." Obi-Wan said solemnly. "Believe in yourself, Cal. After all you did, it's good to see you can still come back and you can even wield some of the darkness without succumbing. Perhaps... If Anakin made the right choices... But you have. You will become better than Anakin ever was."

"My Lord. The Third Sister is here." Vader said nothing to that even as he sensed her approaching.

"It is my great honor to be invited aboard, Lord Vader-"

"I am not interested in civilities. Where are they?" Vader asked curtly.

"The tracker worked. He's arriving on Jabiim as we speak."

"You have done well. Kneel... Grand Inquisitor." Vader said shortly before he turned towards the window, uninterested in seeing the procedure, knowing fully well this girl would not hold the title for long.

In fact, even the current Grand Inquisitor probably won't keep that title, if Vader had his way. Kestis would be more than enough to replace him.

"Set a course, Captain. We leave for Jabiim at once."

"Something is wrong with the Force." Cal commented as they went down from the Mantis.

He focused, trying to figure out what was it. Ever since his brush with the Dark Side, it seemed his abilities had grown stronger, although Cal didn't dare use that much power again.

Images of the Jedi Tomb still haunted Cal, but he realized that this was not the right way to mourn or honor those Jedi. How was he any better than the Inquisitors or Vader that way?

Eventually, though, his eyes landed on Lola. He pulled the droid to him as Leia and Obi-Wan stared at him in confusion. 

"It's a tracker. Lola has been turned into a tracker!" Cal said grimly as he immediately removed the restraining bolt from Lola and crushed it.

"Vader must be behind this. He'll be here soon." Obi-Wan said equally grim.

Alarm and gasps of fear came across the Hidden Path members as Cal and Obi-Wan eyed one another.

"He'll attack soon. He won't ask us to surrender, but he'll siege us. He doesn't have the patience for that." Obi-Wan commented.

"Can Cere's Archive hold you all for now?" Cal asked Roken as he nodded grimly.

"Well, she's offered to let dozens of settlers, but we don't exactly have the time to think about whether or not she can-"

"You can also use Koboh. There's a friend of mine there named Greez. He can be counted to host you there for a while, but he can't do it forever. Send as many as Cere can occupy, while the others can go to Koboh and be transported from there."

Roken stared at Cal for a while before he nodded. "There's some routes we can use that connects to Koboh."

With that, Roken turned towards the other panicking members. "Alright. You all! We're going to have to split into two groups! Each to a safe destination!"

Obi-Wan turned towards Cal. "It would seem we have to go up against Vader again. Cal... If push comes to shove, then you can use that power again, but you have to remember control."

Cal sighed as he nodded. Obi-Wan gave him a firm look. "I have faith in you."

Cal gave a small smile at that. "Thank you, Obi-Wan. Any tips you got that we can use against Vader?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "I got several, in fact."

"It'll take an hour and a half before everyone could be evacuated. We'll need to prepare a defense." Roken stated after discussing with the other members of the Path.

"We'll hold them off. We'll need only a few capable fighters. The rest should be focused on preparing for departure." Cal affirmed as Roken frowned.

"Only a few?"

Cal gave Roken a small smile. "Have you forgotten you're looking at two Jedi who slaughtered 70% of the forces of Fortress Inquisitorius? I couldn't save your wife, and I am sorry, but I told you I'll do everything I can for the Path. I will live up to my word."

Roken stared at him for a few moments before he finally gave a grateful nod. "Alright, Kestis. I guess thanks are in order."

"The droid has been discovered?" Vader said coldly as the Third Sister nodded shakily.

"No matter. It would take time for this network backing them to get every single person involved out of Jabiim. Prepare our troops for an all-out attack as soon as we land." Vader commanded as the Third Sister got up and left.

Vader turned towards the captain. "Tell our Stormtroopers discreetly to report as soon as Kenobi and Kestis have moved. I will face them personally. No one else here has even the smallest of chances against them."

The captain stared at him surprised, but nodded and hurried to carry out his order.

Vader turned his attention towards the window of the ship. 

He could feel the Force's will, as though it was directing fate itself to their second confrontation.

Kenobi would die for his part in his wife's death and the separation of his children, while Kestis would become his apprentice, trained to defeat the Emperor.

Once the Emperor was gone, Vader would, out of gratitude for Kestis should he cooperate, keep Kestis as his second-in-command depending on how things go, and his children would stand beside him as they ruled the Galaxy better than the Emperor ever could.

It would seem that the Force still saw him as the Chosen One indeed, for he would slay the Emperor, the true evil, and bring balance and order to the galaxy.

"The defenses have been prepared." Cal stated as he walked towards Obi-Wan, who turned around and nodded.

"I just contacted Bail. He told me that in the worst case scenario, he'll look after Luke."

"Alright. We've talked about this. I'll reach out to that Inquisitor, and call for negotiations, and then we'll talk to her. You think she is an Order 66 survivor, isn't she?" Cal said softly as Obi-Wan looked away.

"Yes. She was too young to know Anakin, so the only explanation would be that she was a youngling in the Temple who survived Vader's massacre."

"She reminds me of Trilla. Trilla Suduri. The Second Sister who I bested when I infiltrated Fortress Inquisitorius. She had became cruel because she was tortured by the Empire, but in the end, she had a moment for redemption. Vader denied that from her. In the end, though, be it Vader or the Inquisitors, it would seem most of them are ultimately just as broken as victims of the Empire they support. Tragedies."

Obi-Wan chuckled hollowly. "I know. Killing any of them would be a mercy the way it is now, and they deserve that mercy no matter what they had done."

Cal nodded in solemn approval. "We fight to kill, not to end them, but to stop them from hurting anyone else AND to free them from their suffering. I don't know if there's enough left in Anakin to return and be grateful when we do kill him, but at least he can join Padme in death. We will have to do better for Luke and Leia. You failed Anakin, but that's not all on you. Your failures did cause Anakin Skywalker's fall, but now you could use what you've learned to be better for Anakin's children."

Obi-Wan nodded solemnly.

"You alright?" Cal and Obi-Wan turned towards Tala.

"It seems you were discussing about failures... Well, I suppose I can interest you with knowing mine?" 

"Of course." Cal said simply.

"You know, I was following orders on Garel. The Empire said it was a roundup. People not paying their way, taxes for the cause. They lied. There were four families, all Force-sensitive, and we- We gathered them up. I didn't know who they were. I didn't know what the Inquisitors would do." Cal and Obi-Wan listened to Tala's words with a face of sympathy.

"Fourteen people died, and six of them were children, and I couldn't do anything to help them. So now, I do this. One for every one I get through. You're right, Ben. Some things you can't forget. But you can fight to make them better."

"And you're doing your best, Tala. To quote this excellent Jedi Master here, failure is not the end, but a necessary part of the path. You have found hope and redemption by doing your best, and as long as there are people like you, hope will always survive." Cal gave Obi-Wan a happy smile, remembering the time where he spoke those words to Obi-Wan.

How far had he come? To be able to converse with the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi like a good friend.

However, suddenly Cal's senses detected the Third Sister and several soldiers of the Empire arriving.

"They're here." Cal said grimly.

"Then it's time to do as planned." Obi-Wan said simply.

And so it was that Cal and Obi-Wan walked side-by-side towards the doors to the entrance of the hideout, where Roken was there, nodding grimly at them.

"You came in time. I can already feel them coming."

Cal turned towards Obi-Wan, who nodded.

And so the Third Sister walked forward when told Obi-Wan wanted to negotiate.

"If this is you stalling for time, it won't work. Lord Vader will have you at any cost-"

"You mean, Anakin. You knew who Vader was. Back on Daiyu, how did you know that? Vader would have kept that hidden, and you're too young to have known him." Obi-Wan declared to the Third Sister as Cal felt her freeze through the Force.

"But you were there, weren't you, Reva? You were there on the night of Order 66, as a youngling. You saw him, and that's how you knew." Cal communicated through the Force while allowing Obi-Wan to know about it.

"Stop." The Third Sister gritted out.

"Anakin killed the others-"

"That's enough."

"He k*lled the other younglings, but somehow you su-"

"Enough. Enough!"

At that moment, Cal sensed it through probing her mind, a controlled usage of the power of the Dark Side that he still retained. Memories of that night, of the anguish, horror, and hatred she felt at that day.

"They were the only family I knew, and he slaughtered them." Reva said with a shudder, her tone softening.

"You're not serving him, are you? You're hunting him." Obi-Wan said matter-of-factly.

"You can still come back, Reva. Return to the Light. I understand what you've been through. I too survived Order 66 while I was still a Padawan, only a few years older than you." Cal said appealingly, which caused Reva to scoff.

"If you keep on the path of the Dark Side, you'll dishonor them, Reva. Join us, and we'll help you find a new path. You can still come back-"

"Why would I ever trust you? Why would I ever trust him? Where were you, Obi-Wan, while he was killing my friends? He was your Padawan. Why didn't you stop him? Why didn't you save us?"

"You won't stop him alone." Obi-Wan said reasonably, which caused Reva to scoff.

"You have no idea what I've done alone."

Cal's senses felt it then, stopping Reva's lightsaber through the Force before it could get too close to Obi-Wan, before he then opened the doors with a telekinetic blast, sending her flying far away.

"Ready, Obi-Wan?" Cal shouted out as he deflected the flurry of blaster bolts launched.

Obi-Wan sighed out as he ignited his Lightsaber. "Ready."

With that, the two charged as one, taking on the onslaught of Stormtroopers, Droids, and Purge Troopers, with Roken, Tala, and 2 other of the best fighters in the Path providing decent support by firing blaster bolts accurately at several occasions.

"My lord!" Vader turned towards the captain as she rushed forward.

"Any signs of movement from Kestis and Obi-Wan?"

"They're fighting already! They and 4 fighters are overwhelming our forces steadily-"

"Prepare to land, captain. I will face them myself."

Cal crushed 3 droids by throwing his hands out and using the Force to destroy them while Obi-Wan took down several Purge Troopers without batting an eye. Roken had just took down 2 Stormtroopers with precise shots, as Cal gave him looks of appreciation.

As they had planned out, Cal and Obi-Wan would be the main force, as the powerful masters of combat that they were, while those four, the best fighters in the Hidden Path besides Cere, Cordova and Merrin, would be providing fire support, aiming only whenever the time was right while Obi-Wan and Cal did the majority of the fighting.

That wasn't to say that they weren't efficient. For a group who claimed to not be fighters, those four were surprisingly competent as they efficiently provided what help they could, gunning down soldier after soldier with a calm discipline in their aim and demeanor. It almost reminded Cal of Gabs, Bravo, Koob and Lizz, how they did well helping him despite being no Jedi. 

He felt pain in his heart upon remembering those four who died on Coruscant, but he shrugged it off, focusing his emotions using his dedication to the Light and not allowing it to drive him through the dark. Cal recalled some of the teachings of the great Mace Windu, who often made sure to demonstrate the key to remaining true to the Jedi way even upon using more "extreme" powers of the Force.

Cal wondered if he could learn Vaapad, but that would have to wait until later.

5 minutes later, and every single Purge Trooper and Stormtrooper were all downed.

"Thank you." Cal commented as he noticed himself and Obi-Wan uninjured, turning towards the four Hidden Path fighters.

"Got to admit, that was a hell of a show- Watch out!"

Before Roken could even say it, Cal had already recognized the Third Sister trying to attack him and Obi-Wan, freezing her entire body and along with it her attack with Force Stasis before he then broke down every part of the lightsaber, disassembling it into the two blades that made it up, in the same way with which Cere had done to the Fifth Brother before.

"Go. Get out of the planet." Cal said to Roken firmly, who hesitated.

"Don't need any more help?"

"Who's coming next is far beyond you."

"Don't dishonor the name of your fallen friends like this, Reva. Tell me, if you fall to the Dark Side to take down Vader, then how are you any better than him?" Cal said firmly as Reva stopped her futile efforts to break free, his strength beyond hers even without the Dark Side powering him.

"You mourn for them, and you still care for their memory, but if you follow this path, then you will be no less of an evil than that which you hate. Your friends would be heartbroken to see you like this. It's not too late to let it go. You can still-"

Before Cal could finish his word, his hold on her was broken as she was flung far away inside the base.

Cal's eyes widened before he noticed Vader approaching them.

"We meet again, Kestis." Vader commented as he was followed by several soldiers behind him.

"You know, you always have a tendency to execute your own men just for some screw-ups, do you?" Cal said bitterly as Obi-Wan made to stand beside him.

"Strength, loyalty, and will is what makes a good soldier, and neither of the two Inquisitors you bested in combat are worth to be called that." Vader said curtly.

Cal said nothing to that as he activated the comlink connected to the Mantis, giving the signal for Nari to pilot the Mantis here, just as he noticed the ships of the Hidden Path leaving.

"They've escaped the planet, my lord!" An Imperial Captain cried out in alarm, but Vader did not seem to care in the slightest, keeping his eyes trained on him.

"Our lord cares not about a mere squishy network, troopers." Cal's eyes widened as the Grand Inquisitor he thought he killed joined Vader's side casually. "Hello, Kestis. You bested me in combat, but hatred is a powerful motivator isn't it?"

"I thought you lost the Grand Inquisitor title." Cal said curtly.

"Hardly. Reva was just a pawn to be used against Obi-Wan, but now her usefulness has expanded." The Grand Inquisitor commented casually, although there was a tinge of anger in his tone.

"Well, I suppose this does make for a fair fight. We slaughtered those troops before and we just did it now. What makes you think we can't do it again?" Cal stated confidently, but immediately widened his eyes upon realizing what he had just said as Obi-Wan stared at Cal with an expression that screamed for him to remember control.

"It is as he said. We're no stranger to defeating your men, and out of the only two noteworthy warriors among you, one is not that much of a threat, meaning sooner or later, you would lose." Obi-Wan declared almost as though he was trying to be diplomatic.

The Grand Inquisitor narrowed his eyes, clearly noticing the subtle insult, but Vader did not seem to be fazed in the least.

"Cal Kestis... I have been watching your progress over the years. At first, it was just out of a passing interest, but as your abilities continued to grow, I am admittedly interested in you now, especially after recent events." Vader said simply, totally ignoring the diplomatic threats.

"Yeah. Your subordinate there was kind enough to point it out." Cal said simply, keeping his face neutral.

"I wonder... If you-"

Before Vader could finish his word, the Mantis came rushing in, and Cal did not hesitate as he allowed just another burst of the darkness, summoning a focused ball of lightning and launching it to the ground, causing a distraction from the explosion as he and Obi-Wan rushed inside the Mantis. 

Sensing Vader was not deterred, Cal turned around and along with Obi-Wan unleashed such a powerful push with the Force that Vader, despite defending himself, was thrown back hard.

Of course, it couldn't be that easy. It didn't take long before Vader's Star Destroyer resumed pursuit, and Roken had recently just told them that the freight transport he himself was using, aimed for Koboh, was damaged, meaning they would not be able to jump into hyperspace soon enough.

"We'll distract him." Cal said immediately as Obi-Wan nodded.

"Wait- What?" Tala shouted from the comlink.

"We'll lure Vader away from you. Make sure to tell Haja to take Leia back to Alderaan. That is all that we ask."

"Look, we got off on the wrong foot, before, but I'm not eager on just sending you two to possibly die-"

"We won't die, Roken. Thank you for the concern, but we'll be fine. We've fought Vader before. We can do it again." Cal said reassuringly before turning to Tala.

"And Tala? Remember to keep fighting no matter what. You all are some of the few rebellions around. I'll do my best to help you in the future, but you have to not give up."

Roken gave a small smile. "I'm just getting started."

Cal smiled back. "We too."

As they turned their attention towards a barren moon nearby, Cal turned towards Obi-Wan. "Ready, Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan nodded with resolve, most of the hesitation he saw in him before gone. "Ready, Cal."