UNBOWED // Star Wars JFO

The ship floated in hyperspace, its interior illuminated only by the dim lights of the control panel and the glow of the starfield in the cockpit. Despite the constant movement, inside the dining area, the atmosphere felt static. Almost suffocating.

The four of us ate in silence. No one spoke, no one looked directly at anyone. Cere barely touched her food. Greez huffed from time to time, uncomfortable with the lack of conversation. Cal chewed quietly, his eyes fixed on his plate, as if the Wookiee soup we had gotten on Kashyyyk held all the answers he needed.

I got tired of it. I set my spoon aside and leaned my elbows on the table.

—I've been thinking.

The three of them looked up at almost the same time.

—And I've made a decision.

Cere frowned cautiously.

—About what?

I toyed with my fingers on the table, feigning indifference.

—About the holocron. I'm going to help you find it.

Greez dropped his utensils with a dull clatter against the table.

—Seriously?! Well, that's… unexpected. And… is this completely free, or should we be worried?

I smirked.

—Not exactly free.

Cal tilted his head slightly, looking at me with curiosity.

—What do you want?

I slowly turned my face until I met Cere's gaze.

—I want you to help me get Trilla back.

The silence fell like a weight over the room. Cere froze. Her fingers tensed on the table.

—What?

—You heard me —I repeated calmly—. I want you to help me bring her back.

Cere looked at me as if I had just said the craziest thing in the universe.

—That's not possible.

—Why not?

—Because Trilla has fallen to the dark side —she stated firmly, as if that explained everything.

I let out a short, humorless laugh.

—Yeah, I know. She's gone to the dark side. So what?

Cere blinked, visibly frustrated.

—That means she's not the same anymore. She's changed.

—So? —I leaned forward, resting my forearms on the table—. Is being on one side of the Force permanent? A Jedi can fall. A Sith can be redeemed. Why couldn't Trilla come back?

—Because it doesn't work like that, Kelrian.

—Doesn't it? —I arched a brow—. I think it does.

Cere shook her head, her jaw tense.

—It's madness. It won't work.

—Why? —I asked in a low but sharp voice—. Because you think she doesn't deserve it? Or because you're afraid she actually does?

Her gaze hardened.

—That's not it.

—Then tell me, Cere —my voice turned more serious, firmer—. Don't you think we at least owe it to her?

The silence that followed was heavier than before.

—She shouldn't have gone through what she did. None of us should have.

Cere looked away.

—I…

—The least you owe her is to try.

She closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling slowly.

—If I do this… —her voice sounded more exhausted than I expected—. I need to know if you have a plan.

I shrugged.

—I haven't thought of anything yet.

Cere stared at me in disbelief.

—Nothing?

—Nothing.

—By the Force, Kelrian! —she huffed, exasperated—. You can't just improvise. You can't act like you did when you were young.

I leaned back in my seat and smirked.

—There's no point in making a plan based on the Trilla we knew. That Trilla no longer exists.

—And yet you believe you can bring her back.

—I do.

Cere held my gaze for a few more seconds before sighing.

—Arrogance is only a step away from a fall.

—And losing hope is giving up on life —I replied without hesitation—. Everyone on this ship lost hope at some point, or am I wrong?

Cere didn't answer.

—That's why —I continued—, this isn't just about Trilla. It's about all of us. This is a second chance.

I gave her a slight smile, not mocking, but reassuring.

—This time, everything will turn out right.

And, for the first time in a long time, I wanted to believe my own words.

————

Dinner continued in uncomfortable silence.

Greez, as usual, muttered to himself while pushing his food around on his plate, probably complaining about yet another "bug-infested" planet we were dragging him to. Cere kept her gaze down, still digesting the conversation we had just had. And Cal… well, the kid looked deep in thought, though I couldn't quite figure out about what.

As for me, I was tired of all the silence.

—Alright, kid —I said, resting my elbows on the table—. Now that I'm part of this suicide mission, why don't you catch me up? What the hell happened on Kashyyyk?

Cal looked up and set his glass down.

—We liberated an Imperial refinery alongside Saw Gerrera and his people —he began to explain—. We helped the Wookiees reclaim some ground. But…

I noticed his hesitation.

—But?

—I had a confrontation with one of the Inquisitors.

That caught my attention.

—Which one?

—The Ninth Sister.

I frowned. Didn't ring a bell.

—And who's that?

Cal blinked, surprised.

—She was… big. Very big. An ex-Jedi, I think.

I raised an eyebrow.

—And?

—I defeated her.

He didn't say it with arrogance, nor with satisfaction. Just as a fact. But that didn't stop a small smile from forming on my face.

—Not bad, kid. Not bad at all.

Cal looked at me with a mix of surprise and confusion, as if he hadn't expected my approval. I didn't say anything else. I didn't care who that Inquisitor was or her story. All that mattered was that she was dead.

—Alright. So, what's our next destination?

—Dathomir.

I made a face of disgust.

—Great.

Cere, sitting across the table, made the exact same expression. We exchanged a look of mutual understanding.

Cal, of course, noticed.

—What's wrong with Dathomir?

I sighed and leaned back in my chair.

—It's a hellhole.

Cere shot me a warning look before speaking.

—It's a dangerous place, Cal.

—Why?

—The Nightsisters lived there —I explained seriously—. Powerful witches, sensitive to the Force.

—Witches?

—Yeah. During the Clone Wars, they allied with a Sith Lord. But he betrayed them… and wiped them out.

Cal nodded slowly, processing the information.

—So… full of darkness?

—To the bones —I confirmed.

—It won't be an easy place for us —Cere added.

No one at the table disagreed with that statement.

After sorting out a few more details about our route and what awaited us on Dathomir, exhaustion started to weigh on me.

—I'm gonna try to get some sleep —I said, standing up.

And with that, I left.

————

I dreamed. Though it was more a memory than a dream.

I saw myself, younger, sitting on a couch, arms crossed, with a hardened expression. Beside me, a young and beautiful woman gently caressed my back.

—There's nothing wrong with feeling, Keli —her voice was a sweet whisper—. Both positive and negative emotions… they all make us human.

My younger self lifted his head and his expression softened.

—But I'm a Jedi —I murmured—. And I'm not like you.

She smiled sweetly and tilted her head.

—Like you? And what am I like?

I shot her a look with a hint of sarcasm.

—Perfect.

She laughed tenderly and, without warning, hugged me. The memory felt so real that I could almost smell her perfume, feel the warmth of her embrace.

—You remind me so much of Ani when he was young —she whispered.

The mention of that name sent a pang of nostalgia through my chest. And then… the dream changed.

I blinked and I was no longer on that couch. I was on Naboo, at dusk. Thousands of people had gathered in the capital to honor their queen.

The air was filled with the scent of flowers, and the collective sadness felt like a physical weight. I saw her.

Inside a glass coffin, wearing her ceremonial dress with her beauty intact, as if she were merely sleeping.

Padmé Amidala.

My friend, one of the only people who had been like family to me.

Dead.

The memory hit me as it always did whenever I relived it in my dreams.

And then… a shriek. Thunderous. Piercing. An inhuman sound that tore me from the dream and brought me back to reality.

I opened my eyes abruptly. Heart pounding, I stepped out of the ship and found Cere already there, looking at the sky.

A monstrous, winged creature circled above, its eerie cries echoing. And for a moment, I thought I saw a blue flash in the distance. A lightsaber.

I frowned and muttered to myself.

—He's even worse than I was years ago…

Cere glanced at me.

—Not even close —she said confidently.

Then, after a brief pause, she added:

—Though he certainly has a talent for finding trouble.

————

My fav chapter so far!

So one of the most important things of Kelrian's past I believe is his relationship with Padmé and the huge impact she had on him! Someone out of the Jedi order with the different point of view he needed so much when he was a padawan.