So I'm writing the novelization (unofficial, unfortunately) for the recent Star Wars game Jedi: Fallen Order. If you haven't played it or haven't finished or don't want to spoil yourself, go away. For obvious reasons. :) Feel free to leave critique, questions, and discussion here. I really appreciate the feedback, as I'd like to know every way I can improve.
Open to comments. IDC if you post (please do, I'm lonely). I'll have a table of contents up here that's readily accessible to prevent endless scrolling. Feel free to share your Fallen Order screenshots or stories or ask for help!

AO3 posting
Wattpad
And I've decided to draw an artwork for each chapter like a complete buffoon. Oh yeah, good practice. xD

Pinglist:
Flowerfeather,


The Republic has fallen. Chaos and darkness reigns under the iron rule of the Galactic Empire. Former Padawan Cal Kestis survived Order 66, but not without scars.
After the Jedi-hunting Inquisitors discover his true nature, Cal is thrust into a race to trace the steps of late Master Eno Cordova and his elusive journey across the galaxy.



Table of Contents:
Chapter I: The Scrapper From Bracca (Word count: 4448)
Chapter II: Eno Cordova's Message (Word count: 2383)
Chapter III: Peace in the Eye of the Storm (Word count: 2549)
Chapter IV: Wisdom and Insight (Word count: 1173)

Hhhhh I'm not dead I swear!
I'm almost donE
school is hard and I am a pro-crastinator!
I spend too much time taking Cal pics. They're pretty damn funny tho. Grandmaster's kicking my butt but we're having fun! yeah. enjoy these while I cry about grammar and plotlines. :3
(if you're interested in seeing the rest of them click here. Some of them are good, some of them are cursed.)

This is fantastic
They're so cursed I love them all
Thank you for bringing this to the table.

Chapter I: The Scrapper From Bracca


In an age before these dark times, there ruled a grand Republic. Its figurehead of justice, the illustrious Jedi Order, stood as a peacekeeping force amidst the political divides of the galaxy. As war broke out between the Republic and the Separatist Alliance, the Jedi and their clone armies found themselves spread too thin across too many worlds. At the center of it all stood Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. His powers grew as the Clone Wars dragged on, and the Jedi Order began to doubt the Chancellor's visions for the Republic.

In an effort to expose Palpatine's surely malicious intentions, several Jedi masters were sent to apprehend him. Ultimately, they failed, and Palpatine framed the Jedi Order for treason. Across the galaxy, the Republic's clone armies turned against their Jedi generals, now branded as traitors. Nearly all involved with the Clone Wars were effectively executed, and those who survived either went into hiding or were hunted down and killed.

With the Jedi out of the way, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine revealed himself to be the nefarious Sith Lord Darth Sidious. The Republic had fallen, and a new Empire rose in its place, imposing its iron rule across the galaxy and crushing those who stood in its way.

But the light of hope is not yet extinguished...

----

Stormclouds shroud the dark horizon as rain pours down in sheets upon the torn-up wrecks of thousands of decommissioned starships. The humid air is heavy with the acrid taste of burning alloy, beaten into Bracca's surface and atmosphere over decades of metalwork and shipbreaking. A Mid Rim junkyard planet, Bracca served as a strategic outpost during the Clone Wars due to its proximity to hyperspace routes. But as the Empire came into power, it fell out of importance, relegated to an under-the-radar shipbreaking yard.

Now, the members of the Scrapper Guild live only for their next payday, working dawn to dusk for what little the Empire will give them.

Seventeen-year-old Cal Kestis has lived on Bracca since the rise of the Empire, nearly five years ago. It isn't the most ideal of planets to get stuck on, but he knows of worse. Especially for former Jedi.

----

"Word is the Albedo Brave is to leave the Bracca system." Down the hall, Cal can hear the clones' discussion. The troops are relieved - endlessly orbiting the same planet with little to do is making them antsy. Despite Jedi Master Jaro Tapal's insistence on a strict training regiment, Cal too, grows restless. "We're leaving Bracca?"

The pair of troopers turn. "Possibly," the first one says.

"Don't get his hopes up with second-hand gossip," the other admonishes.

"I'll believe it once Master Tapal says so," Cal agrees.

"Speaking of your master"

Cal smiles. "Yeah, I better go."

The doors hiss open. Within, Tapal and the commander are talking softly. At his entrance, Tapal turns. "Padawan. It is time for instruction. First though, we have orders. Bracca is secure. We move out for Mygeeto shortly." Sure enough, the commander is receiving a transmission.

Cal grins. "Yes!"

Tapal steps forward. "You must-" He grimaces in pain, raising a hand to his face.

"Master? Are you okay?" Cal inquires, worried. Something seems off, but he can't quite put his finger on it.
"Something is wrong" Tapal closes his eyes, swaying slightly. Behind him, the commander's demeanor has changed. He draws his blaster rifle, aiming it at the unsuspecting Lasat.

"No!" Cal cries, frozen. "No!" Before he can react, Tapal's lightsaber cuts through the air, slicing the rifle in two. With another quick movement, the commander lies dead on the deck, a smoking hole in his armor. Cal gapes in shock. "What's happening? Why did the commander just-"

Tapal raises a hand, breathing controlled and deep. He collects himself, switching off his saber. "Padawan. Something terrible is happening. The clones have betrayed us. There are no answers to your questions not yet. We need to get off this ship, and quickly. Get to the escape pods. Use the maintenance halls. We trained for this - do you remember?" Tapal's tone is calm and somber.

Cal nods shakily. "Yes, Master. W-what about you?"

Tapal's gaze hardens. "I will create a distraction and meet you. If I am not there when you arrive, depart without me. I will find you on Bracca. Do you understand?"

Cal nods again, surer this time. "Yes, Master."

Distant explosions echo through the halls. "They are coming," Tapal says, tone heavy with dread. "I will seal the blast doors but if any cross your path, do not hesitate. Go, and may the Force be with you."

Cal half-turns, as if to say something to his teacher. Tapal cuts him off. "Go!" he barks. Cal slips away as the blast doors slam shut, echoed by a rumbling explosion. Drawing his lightsaber, Cal cuts his way into the ventilation corridors, leaving behind a twisted mess of metal. In the main halls below, Cal can hear the clones on the search for him and Tapal. "We've got eyes on Tapal, but the kid's gone. Shoot to kill."

What happened? What went wrong? Cal wonders, peering down through the grated floor. A sudden rumble spurs him into motion, and he scurries onwards. The turbolift shaft is ahead. That'll take me right to the escape pods. He climbs onto a ledge and stops short, boots hanging over a steep drop, hundreds of meters deep.

"There he is!" a clone's voice calls, accompanied by the echoing rapport of blaster fire. Cal ducks, running along the thin ledge as bolts of energy slam into the wall behind him. He makes a desperate leap across the chasm, attempting to put the thick cables between him and the clones. The shaft shakes, and Cal fights to keep his footing. He ignites his lightsaber, deflecting a barrage of blaster fire. A stray bolt strikes his saber's hilt, throwing it from his grasp. It rolls over the edge, and Cal dives for it, attempting to use the Force to pull it back. An explosion throws his concentration, and the hilt vanishes into the darkness.

"Padawan! Your lightsaber!" Tapal's disapproving voice thunders through the shaft, startling him.

"I'm sorry, Master!" Cal cries, getting to his feet.

"Keep going! I'll meet you up ahead." Tapal turns and charges back into the corridors. Cal scrambles into the adjoining hall, pushing his way through the mess of tangled cables and twisted metal. Kicking out the grate in front of him, Cal finds himself in the escape pod hangar, behind a pair of clones. At the noise of the fallen metal, they turn, blasters ready. Cal yelps. The hum of a lightsaber echoes through the hangar, and the clones fall. Jaro Tapal stands before him, his saber's blades glowing bright blue. "The door controls! Go! I'll hold them off."

Cal dashes over to the control panels, assessing the sprawl of blinking lights and text. They're damaged Behind him, he can hear Tapal holding back the clones, lightsaber flashing. He curses, and Cal turns. One of the clones had damaged Tapal's saber, and its second blades flickers and dies.

Cal watches helplessly as a blaster bolt hits Tapal in the shoulder. "Master!" he cries.

Tapal growls. An unseen force slams the advancing clones into the ceiling. He stumbles as a second barrage strikes his chest, and the clones fall to the floor, unmoving. Cal lunges in front of Tapal with a yell, hands outstretched. "No!" The troops are momentarily frozen in time, but not before a stray bolt grazes the side of his face.

Cal helps Tapal into the escape pod, ignoring the stinging burn on his cheek and the increasingly violent explosions shaking the ship. The pod ejects, and Cal rushes to his master's side. "Master..."

"Cal. Cal... I overloaded the ship's reactors. The explosion will mask our escape. This war is not over, my Padawan. Hold the line. Wait for the Jedi Council's signal" With a great deal of effort, Tapal offers him his broken lightsaber, wrapping Cal's small hands around its still-warm hilt. "Remember trust only in the Force..."

"Yes, Master." Cal's voice is dead as he clutches the saber to his chest, empty. With a sigh, the once-vibrant life fades from Tapal's green eyes, and his hands fall to the floor. The Albedo Brave explodes in a massive fireball, shaking the pod. Cal collapses against the control console, staring blankly into the stars.

What now...?

----

"Cal!"

A rough voice startles him back to reality as a heavy hand lands on his shoulder. He pushes away the memory, taking a deep breath and straightening. His old friend Prauf stands behind him, expression worried. "You good?" he asks. The kind-hearted Abednedo has worked alongside Cal for the entirety of his time on Bracca, and the two became close friends.

Cal shakes his head, blinking away unshed tears. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Prauf smiles good-naturedly. "The boss needs us to secure the hauler clamps on line 10-A. They're jammed. Again."

Cal sighs. "That's not an easy maneuver."

Prauf shrugs. "Said they'd double our pay for this shift. Little extra score, couldn't hurt. Hmm?"

Cal considers it a moment. "Okay." He follows Prauf deeper into the wreck, lost in his thoughts. Prauf, like always, has something to say. For now, Cal is content with merely listening. His memories have been resurfacing more often as of late, bleeding from his dreams into his waking mind.

"Hey!" Prauf's voice suddenly becomes excited. Cal looks up. "A Separatist ship! Will you look at that. Haven't seen a Lucrehulk in ages."

"Yeah...ages." Cal watches as the massive ship descends from the stormy skies.

"Breaking her will be big money." Prauf claps Cal on the back. "Let's go. Use the manual override lever below. I'll be up top."

"Alright." Cal edges out onto a thin girder encircling the busted clamps. The rain-drenched metal is slick beneath his feet, but he keeps his footing. He grabs hold of the lever and pulls down on it, but it refuses to budge. "Come on," Cal grumbles. The lever suddenly gives, and he slips. "Whoa!"

"You okay?" Prauf calls, peering down at him.

"Pull me up!" Cal shouts, hooking his arm over the edge of the clamp. It jerks upwards, and Cal jumps off, pushing wet red hair out of his face. Prauf stands a few meters away, waving him over excitedly. "Come take a look at this! A Jedi fighter! What a score! It's a real scrapper's payday. I mean, this heap's been here what, four years?"

Cal walks over. "Five," he says softly. The starfighter's red-and-silver paint job is dull but still intact under a layer of grime.

"Whoever flew this went down in a blaze of glory," Prauf exclaims, circling the wreck. "Those Jedi... a real tragedy. I've always said they couldn't all be traitors."

"Yeah, maybe," Cal agrees half-heartedly.

"Just our lucky day. Empire's gonna get a lot of good material out of it. Yep. Here we are scrapping these ships from the war just so they can turn around and make new ones. What a racket, huh?"

Cal wipes the dirt off the logo on the fighter's fin. Unbidden, snippets of the past surge through the Force.

-despair, hopelessness. She had survived, but there was no escape. They-

He pushes the echoes back and draws his hand away. Psychometry is what Master Tapal called it - the ability to sense an object's past through echoes in the Force. Prauf is still talking, voice steadily rising. "All of us, risking our necks for the bosses. And the pay was better back during the Republic too."

"Hey, you should really watch what you say," Cal urges, furtively looking around. You never know when the Empire's listening.

"Listen to me. A finder's fee like this could be your ticket off this soggy rock," Prauf continues.

"What makes you think I want out of here?" Cal asks. Unease nags at him, and he is unsure whether the feeling is an aftereffect of the echo or something else.

Prauf laughs, incredulous. "Come on, Cal. You're a young guy! You don't wanna end up like me. Eventually you gotta move on and live your life. Find your destiny." He smiles.

"Yeah, whatever you say. We should get back down. Shipcutter's done." Cal eyes the slippery deck.

"Hey, you're not listening to me, though. You-"

The echoing snap of fraying cables interrupts him. The unease Cal felt erupts into panic as Prauf curses. With a grinding tear, the cable gives, skewing the platform. Prauf slips and Cal tumbles head over heels as the platform tilts further and they begin to slide. Cal frantically grabs for a handhold, but the metal is too slick to get a grip on. In a last desperate effort, he kicks out, just barely catching a cable with his feet as he slips over the edge.

Cal jerks to a swinging stop, upside-down. Prauf manages to stop himself as well, hanging onto a bent spur of metal.

"Prauf!" Cal calls. "You okay?!"

"Cal! I-I can't climb up!" His grip is slipping fast, and any movement by either of them sends tremors through the metal. "Just hang on!" Cal shouts, helpless. The platform rocks and a sheet of twisted metal careens past them, narrowly missing Cal's head.

"I'm slipping!" Prauf cries, panicked.

"No! Don't let go!" Cal yelps, attempting to free himself.

"I can't hold on...!" Prauf makes a wild grab for a dangling cable but misses. His erratic movement snaps the already compromised girder, and he falls.

"No!" Cal yells, grabbing at the air in a futile lunge.

Don't stand out.

Don't reach within.

Prauf's fall slows. The Force... Cal's gaze shifts to his outstretched hand, then to the imperial probe droid hovering a few meters away. That can't be good.

He wrests himself free of the cables and drops down onto the damaged barge below. Prauf lies pinned beneath a girder. Cal runs over. "You okay?"

"I'm alright! Just pinned down. Get us out of here!" Prauf waves him off.

"Pilot's gone!" Cal cries, throwing the broken droid from the controls. "Hang on!" The barge had drifted dangerously close to the gargantuan ibdis maw and its massive tentacles.

"Watch out, Cal!" Prauf shouts unhelpfully.

"This thing is barely flying!" Cal expertly lands the dying barge out of reach of the giant creature and races to Prauf's side. He heaves the metal bar off his friend. "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. We gotta move." He leans heavily on Cal, limping. "Hell happened?"

Cal doesn't answer. Prauf stops. "What was that back there? Was it.. Was that you?" He stares at Cal, shocked. "Wha- tha- that was the Force, wasn't it?!"

Cal freezes. "Just... forget what you saw, okay? Please trust me," he says softly, unable to meet Prauf's gaze.

Prauf gapes. "No, but I-I've seen the stories. I've heard it! There's-"

"Prauf-"

"There's bounties on people like you-"

"I know! I know." Cal drops his shoulders. Realization dawns on Prauf's face, and his frantic energy fades. "Yeah, alright. We need to be careful." He rubs Cal's shoulder. "C'mon. We should get back."

Cal lets out a soft sigh of relief. "Yeah."

------
THEY REMOVED ALL MY ELLIPSES I just got around to editing this and I want to eat my pants! Stop stealing my punctuation!!

The storm had subsided by the time Cal and Prauf caught the train back to the city. 'City' is a rather generous term - the place is more like a thousand shantytowns stacked on top of each other, with a bar on every corner. Prauf had stayed quiet most of the time, but Cal can see the worry in his eyes. Finally, he speaks. "You holdin' up okay?" he asks softly.

"Yeah. You?" Cal pushes down the all-too familiar anxious energy.

"Yeah." Prauf peers at him. Cal looks away. "Cal...I been working with you some time now. I've never seen you do anything like that before."

Cal slumps back into the seat. Prauf continues on. "Heh. We've been through some hell together. So... I know the risk that you took for me. I just... I don't know how to repay you."

Cal sighs dejectedly. "Don't mention it. I mean it."

"You don't have to worry about me. But... this place... it's not safe." Prauf peers around, lowering his voice even further. "Maybe you should... I don't know, disappear?"

Yes. Disappear. Cal nods. "Just gotta head back to my place, grab my bag. Tabbers owes me a favor."

"Heard he was up on Nar Shaddaa," Prauf adds.

"Yeah." Cal pauses, saddened. "You won't be seeing me for a while, Prauf." He rests his head against the window and drifts off, exhausted. Not even a moment later, something startles him awake. The train seems quiet, emptier. Prauf is gone. Cal stands, peering down the car. A familiar figure stands at the end. "Prauf?" he calls.

The door slides shut. Cal picks up his pace. What is he doing? "Prauf, wait up." Before he can reach the end of the car, it goes dark. Power's gone. The door slides open, and Cal carefully proceeds. With a hollow click, the lights turn back on, illuminating-

-the familiar halls of a Venator-class Star Destroyer. Something draws Cal forward, down the seemingly endless corridor. A lone alarm blares, echoing through the ship. A whisper reaches his ears, through a blast door. The pull becomes stronger, and Cal presses his hand to the cold metal. The door suddenly opens.

Jaro Tapal stands within, lightsaber blazing. Before Cal can react, Tapal reaches out, paralyzing him. "Apprentice," Tapal thunders. "Mark well and listen."

"Master-"

"Trust only in the Force."

----

Cal wakes with a gasp. Prauf sits next to him, concerned. "Train's stopped. You alright?"

"Yeah. Something's going on." Cal shakes off his fatigue and stands. A group of white-armored stormtroopers move through the train car, barking orders. "Identification ready. Move out and line up."

Cal eyes the troopers worriedly. Prauf nudges him. "Probably just another contraband inspection," he mutters. Cal nods, unconvinced as he squints against the pounding rain. Cold dread settles in his stomach as he catches sight of several menacing figures, clad in black and red armor. Purge troopers. I'm the contraband.

Two imperial ships land before the gathered scrappers, whipping wind and rain about the plateau. Cal takes an involuntary step back. Inquisitors.

"Is this all of them?" the first asks with disdain.

"Yes, Second Sister," one of the purge troopers answers, startling Cal.

With a sigh, she turns to the scrappers. "We seek a dangerous fugitive." Letting her words sink in, she walks the length of the lineup, moving with the deliberate grace of a panther. "This is no common anarchist... but a devotee of the treasonous Jedi Order. Failure to turn over this traitor will result in a charge of sedition. Turn yourselves in or everyone present will face summary execution."

In unison, the purge troopers ready large blaster rifles. The Ninth Sister grins toothily and sneers, pacing in front of the ships. Whispers run through the gathered scrappers, and several shift uneasily. Prauf steps forward. Cal grabs for him, but lowers his hand. "I... think it's time someone came forward." His voice falters as the Second Sister turns her smoldering gaze to him. He continues. "I, uh... I-I've been working on this heap a long time. Way before the war. We refit and rebuilt ships. Best in the galaxy." He seems to be gaining steam.

Cal subtly reaches for his belt, hand closing around Jaro Tapal's lightsaber.

-Trust only - the Force-

No. Prauf is still talking, and Cal attempts to catch his eye. "Then came the Empire." He turns to face the Second Sister. "And engineers... became scrappers. The workers... they just started getting worked."

"Prauf..." Cal breathes.

"But we all know the truth. We're just too afraid to say it. To the Empire... we're all just expendable." Prauf turns. The Second Sister steps forward. "Yes," she says, raising her lightsaber and igniting it in his chest. "You are."
"No!" Cal howls, drawing his saber and lunging forward.

"Look at this! A lightsaber!" she crows, easily blocking his wild strike. With a dismissive wave of her hand, she flings him away, right into the Ninth Sister's grip. She swings him over the edge of the cliff, shaking him. "I got the Jedi!"

Cal yells and swings his saber. With a triumphant sneer, she drops him. "Too slow!" she laughs. With a flurry of curses, Cal makes a wild grab for the rock, but misses. Below him, a train flies by. Too fast... He tucks his head and braces himself, crashing through the rusted metal with an almighty crack. He can taste blood as he pushes himself to his knees. "Augh, that hurts..."

Two stormtroopers stand at the front of the car, staring at him. "How'd you get here?" the first asks, raising a blaster.

They really can't see out of those helmets, he muses grumpily, standing. His hip aches fiercely, and he can't put full weight on his right leg.

"Hey! Hold it! Don't move!" the second trooper barks, not sharing his comrade's curiosity. Cal dives forward, lightsaber flashing. Within moments, the two unfortunate troopers lie dead on the floor. Cal grimaces, shoving his lightsaber through his belt and limping forward. Got to stop this thing. They'll be coming for me.

An explosion suddenly shakes the train, throwing Cal forward. Faster... He scrambles up onto the roof of the train, raising an arm and squinting against the rain. The roar of an approaching ship startles him, and he looks up to see a TIE interceptor barrelling down on him, guns blazing. Cal hits the deck as the train is struck by a barrage of laser fire. He crawls forward, shielding himself behind a raised vent.

Why isn't it firing on me? he wonders. Not even a moment later, the coupling between the cars snaps, shattered by blaster bolts. Cal swears as the car slips from the tracks with a blood-curdling screech of metal on metal. "Not good! Not good!" A twisted hulk of metal flies past him as he resumes climbing.

The high-pitched whine of engines approaches again, and Cal takes cover in the scorched doorway, bracing for a massive explosion. It doesn't come, and he raises his head. A second ship fires on the interceptor, chasing it away from the train. It pulls up alongside Cal, boarding ramp lowered. A woman waves at him. "Hey! We're here to help!"

"Who are you?!" Cal shouts over the roar of the wind.

"No time! Keep moving! We'll pick you up when we can!" Before Cal can reply, the ship peels off, interceptor following. Cal breaks into a lopsided run, making his way up the train. With a sudden screech, it slows, almost stopping entirely. What now...?

The two ships careen overhead.

"Aah!" Cal ducks as a blast rocks the train. The car he stands on slips off the rails, sending him hurtling towards the unforgiving cliffs. The second ship pulls around. "Jump!" the woman cries.

Cal throws himself forward, slamming into the ramp. "Oof!"

"Hold on!" She offers him a hand. Before he can reach, the ship is struck by a barrage of blaster fire, throwing Cal away. He falls for a moment before catching hold of a maintenance droid. It beeps indignantly at him, losing altitude. Cal releases it and lands hard on a loading deck, wincing. This day just gets better and better.

As if the galaxy heard his call, the TIE interceptor lands, and the Second Sister drops onto the platform. She ignites her lightsaber. "Going somewhere?"

In response, Cal draws his own saber, raising it in a defensive guard.

"I recognize that stance Perhaps you've had some training after all. Who was your master, Padawan? Someone I killed? What Jedi gave their life so that you might live?" She slinks towards him, blood-red saber glowing bright. In a flash, she strikes at him, movements swift and precise. He barely wards her off, injured leg aching with each blow.

The ship from before comes around, firing upon the platform. Cal flings himself away and rolls to his feet. "Get on board!" the woman's voice calls from the cloud of smoke. Cal coughs and jumps onto the ramp. The woman pulls him inside and draws a blaster, firing at the telltale slow of the Second Sister's lightsaber. The doors seal, and the ship pulls away. Cal follows her into the cabin. The Second Sister clings to the windshield and wrests the controls away, sending the ship into a downwards spiral. The woman grabs ahold of the yoke and stabilizes their fall, flinging the Second Sister off.

The captain punches the hyperdrive, and the scrapyards of Bracca are left in the dust. Cal lets out a breath. The captain, a grumpy-looking Latero, turns, eyes wide at the sight of Cal's lightsaber. He raises all four arms. "Okay. Put that thing down and grab some seat."

Cal turns off his lightsaber, still in shock. "Thanks for the help. But who are you people?"

"My name is Cere Junda," the dark-skinned woman says. She motions to the Latero. "And this is my captain, Greez Dritus."

Cal, half-ignoring them, peers around the ship with restless anxiety.

Greez grins. "How ya doin? Yeah, the Mantis is my ship, but you better pay attention to this lady here."

Cere quiets him. "So... who are you?" she asks calmly.

"Cal. Kestis. Who was that back there?" He rubs his aching shoulder.

Cere gravely shakes her head. "An imperial Inquisitor. She's a Force user hunting Jedi survivors. And now that she knows who you are... She will not stop until she destroys you."

Cal raises an eyebrow, suspicious. "How do you know so much? And why'd you help me?"

"We track imperial communications. We heard the Inquisitors were heading to Bracca - so we made our move."

"Oh yeah? What's the bounty on Jedi these days anyway?"

Greez sighs loudly. "That's gratitude for ya."

"Look. I get it. You've been surviving on your own for so long that it's impossible to trust anyone. And that's what's kept you alive. But this... is about something bigger than just surviving," Cere tells him. Something about her words resonates with him, igniting his curiosity.

"Like what?"

"Like rebuilding the Jedi Order."

Cal gapes. "You two?" He looks around the ship. "Anyone else?"

Greez squints at him. "Oh, we're not good enough for you?"

Cal gives him a 'well, duh' look. "The Jedi Council?" he says slowly.

"They're gone," Cere says solemnly.

"Oh. So... I'm all you've got."

Cere nods. "Captain, set a course for Bogano."

Greez grumbles to himself.

"And Cal... try and relax. You're safe. For now." Cere smiles slightly.

That's not ominous. Cal heads off into the hold. Just need some sleep.

----------------------------
It took me forever and a day to format this thing. 20K+ characters, removing all my quotation marks, easy-read spacing... not to mention going through and re-italicizing. (AND REDOING MY STUPID ELLIPSES) Fun fun. Hopefully the other chapters won't be as long.

Apologies for the missing punctuation on the last chapter - Sylestia doesn't like my copy-paste. :/ It's been fixed!
GODDAMMIT THIS ONE TOO Please let me know if I missed anything!!

-------------

Chapter II: Eno Cordova's Message

"You've gotta move on and live your life. Find your destiny."

"Cal, look out!"

Cal wakes up, startled. Greez's grumpy mug scowls at him. "You were talkin in your sleep. Weirdo." He walks away. Cal gets up and shakes his head. I'm the weirdo? He stretches, peering around the hold. The exposed hyperdrive thrums rhythmically at the rear, casting a soft white glow across the worktable in front of it. Cal rubs the base of his neck and folds his poncho before tossing it onto the workbench with a sigh.

The hard bunk hadn't done much for his injuries, and the extra stress gave him a stiff neck. Still better than Bracca. Cal grabs his lightsaber from the workbench and attaches it to his belt before stepping out into the main lounge.

The ship is quiet, and a foggy brown-green planet fills the viewport. Bogano? he wonders. His eye is drawn to an unfamiliar stringed instrument, resting against the holotable. Curious, Cal picks it up and perches at the edge of the sofa, plucking at the strings. The lonely strains of a melody swirl through the Force. He closes his eyes and focuses, echoing the melancholy tune.

Footsteps enter the lounge, and Cal opens his eyes. Cere stands in front of him, a faraway look in her eyes. "That song... I wrote it years ago. You touch an object and witness events connected to it. You feel its history..."

"It's an echo in the Force from the object." Cal sets down the instrument.

Cere nods approvingly, sitting next to him. "Not many Jedi have that skill."

Cal raises an eyebrow. "How would you know that?"

"I once was a Jedi."

"Do I know you?" he wonders.

"No. But I knew your master, Jaro Tapal. He was a true guardian of the Republic."

"He was a hero," Cal agrees, heart heavy with the familiar grief. He shifts uncomfortably. "Listen... something happened to me during the Purge." He pauses, suddenly unsure. What the hell. "I survived, but my connection to the Force is damaged. When I meditate, when I use the Force at all... if I'm not careful Its like I'm back in that moment when..." He stops.

Cere puts a hand on his arm. "You survived, Cal. And you're not alone. Not anymore."

Greez wanders into the lounge with a yawn. Upon seeing them, he hastens to the cockpit. "Oh! Finally, we can land."

Cere joins him, and after a moment, Cal follows. "This is Bogano," Cere says. "A Jedi I knew discovered it before the Purge. You won't find it on any maps."

"The Empire doesn't know this place exists?" Cal asks, incredulous. "So what's the plan? Hide out here?" The Mantis lands softly, and Greez whistles to himself.

"No. We're done hiding, Cal." She leads him down the ramp, pointing into the sunset. A tall structure stands against the sky, sunlight gleaming off its surface. "See that? I believe that vault holds the key to rebuilding the Jedi Order. However..." She turns to him.

"What?"

"It requires someone strong in the Force to pass its tests."

"Can't you do it?" Cal inquires, confused.

"I cut myself off," Cere says shortly. Her tone invites no further conversation. Cal narrows his eyes. "And that's why you need me."

Cere sighs. "Look. I know you don't trust me. And I'm not really sure I trust you either. But we have a common enemy, and a common cause. I'll tell you more after you reach the Vault. But, until then, there's someone you should meet. I've got to stay here and monitor imperial activity. Hopefully they won't find us here, but we can never be too careful."

Cal nods. "Guess I'll just look around, then." He heads down the ramp, squinting against the sunlight. The warm air is heavy with the scent of wet earth and rain. Suppose I'm looking for a Jedi. But if there's already one here, why does Cere need me? The remnants of structures on the horizon stand stark against the bright sky, like sentinels of the past. Cal wanders down a muddy slope, listening to the chatter of creatures and the constant breath of the wind.

Deep chasms split the planets surface, their pale, striated walls weathered away by millennia of wind and rain. So peaceful. Perfect hideout for a Jedi. He bends down and brushes his hand across the ground, searching for echoes in the Force from this mysterious someone.

They were here. A long time ago but tired of the chaos of the galaxy. They came to Bogano in search of something. Enlightenment, perhaps? Cal sits back. The echoes are vague, more impressions than memories. Got to clear my head. This place should be good for meditation. He closes his eyes and quiets his thoughts, immersing himself in the serenity of the fractured plains.

For once, visions of the Albedo Brave fail to break his focus, and all the voice of Jaro Tapal has to say is "You are learning, Padawan."

Hes heard worse. Sometimes, the ghost of his master would berate him. Other times, Cal would relive Tapal's death, knowing he could do nothing.

Boooop?

Cal opens his eyes. A white-and-red BD unit circles him curiously, beeping softly.

"Hey, BD-1. I'm Cal."

Fwooo?

"Yeah, I'm okay. I'm looking for someone."

Wooo?

Cal smiles. "No, not you. I'm searching for, uh, a Jedi. I think."

The little droid beeps excitedly and bounces off. Cal straightens. "Hold on. You know the Jedi? What do you know? Hey! Wait!" He stands and rushes after BD, following him on a haphazard path across bottomless gaps and steep cliffs before leading him into a derelict workshop. The entire subterranean enclave is plastered with research notes and drawings, most almost illegible.

BD beeps, curious.

Surprised, Cal peers at him. "The Vault? That's where I was headed, too."

Whooo!

"Okay. First we gotta find a way out of this place." Cal looks around the workshop. "Do you know where this leads?" He heads towards two doors, rusted half-open.

Boodoop! BD-1 slips through the crack and darts off, his spotlight flashing bright in the shadows. Cal squeezes through the doors and heads after him. Several small, fox-like creatures bounce away from their presence, chattering noisily. "What are those?" Cal asks.

Bwoo.

"Boglings? Huh. They're kinda cute." Cal follows BD up a long, spiralling flight of stairs, unevenly cut into the pale rock. They emerge into the watery sunlight, a mere few hundred meters from the towering Vault, shining dull gold in the sun. "That's the Vault Cere mentioned. Whoever I'm supposed to find must be waiting there."

Fwee! BD runs ahead of him, trilling a senseless melody.

"Race you there!" Cal dashes up the muddy slope, surefooted despite the wet ground. Halfway up, BD jumps onto his shoulder with a tired whine.

"Oh, we're not finished yet!"

BD yells at him.

"Okay, okay. You probably would've won. Probably." Cal smiles, peering around the interior of the Vault. A large central spire dominates the space, covered in moss and worn-down carvings. Detailed murals and runic engravings circle the outer walls. The entire enclave has clearly not been touched in centuries. Cal circles it, stopping before a metal panel. The inscriptions call to him, whispering through the Force. He tentatively reaches out, pressing a hand to the cool surface. At his touch, it soundlessly slides up, revealing a dark crevice.

Cal peers into the shadows. "Tight fit. You think we can do it?"

Bwoo. BD crouches low on his shoulder.

"Alright. Here goes." Cal sidles through the crack. The interior is significantly less polished than the outside, and the jagged rock is slick with moisture. They emerge into a circular room, a perfect hemisphere covered in more strange carvings and glyphs. An inch of swampy water covers the floor, and sunlight pours in through the opening above.

"Haven't seen anything like this before," Cal remarks. BD jumps down from his back and skitters towards the center of the Vault. Cal follows, gazing around in awe. Boop boo woo. Fwee?

"What is it?"

BD stops, standing completely still.

"You okay, BD?"

"Well done, whoever you are."

Cal looks up. A hologram of an unfamiliar Jedi Master stands before them, smiling amicably. "You have passed the test I left behind - and gained access to the Vault and this recording. One of many encrypted logs stored in the droid."

Cal glances at BD-1.

"I am Master Eno Cordova. I may not know your name, but I know your purpose. The fate of the Jedi Order lies in your hands. This place this Vault is a sacred temple. Built by a vanished civilization known as the Zeffo. Meditating here, I was granted a premonition through the Force. A vision of doom I have placed inside this Vault a Jedi holocron. Ahead you will find the inner chamber of the Vault but also another test. I can only trust this holocron to someone who has followed my path and understands. Seek out the hidden tombs of the three sages and learn to perceive the mysteries of the Force as the Zeffo once did. In this droid, you will find everything you need to succeed on this journey. Go to the Zeffo homeworld. There you will find peace in the eye of the storm. Good luck, Jedi. And may the Force be with you."

Cal stares for a moment, not quite comprehending. What? He turns to BD-1. "Guess you were the one I was supposed to meet."

Bweeep!

Cal sits down, ignoring the wet moss. "You know..." He peers at BD. "I've been alone for a while now. Without any purpose... just hiding. It's no way to live. Not for a Jedi."

BD beeps.

"Or a droid. Maybe Cere was right. Maybe we're done hiding. Hey." He stands, suddenly invigorated. "You wanna meet some, uh... friends of mine?"

BD trills excitedly and scrambles onto Cal's shoulder. He smiles and radios Cere. "I think I found what you wanted me to see."

"Sounds like you did. Well be waiting." Her voice carries a note of amusement.

She knew, Cal realizes, squeezing back through the crack and into the fading sunlight. What else isn't she telling me? Cordova's words swirl through his mind as he makes his way back towards the Mantis. A holocron... what could it contain? What is so important that Cordova hide it here in this Vault?

The sun is going down as Cal arrives back at the Mantis. Cere waits outside, sitting on the boarding ramp. At his approach, she stands. "You passed the test."

Cal eyes her. "So you knew about BD-1?"

Cere smiles elusively. "Come on board. We'll talk inside."

Cal sighs and follows her. What am I getting myself into? Greez emerges from the rear of the hold, grumbling to himself.

BD climbs down Cal's shoulder and jumps to the floor, following Greez. Beee?

"Oh, BD-1, this is Greez," Cal says. BD twitters and jumps onto the sofa. Greez's eyes widen in horror. "What is that?"

Fwee!

"Get off my sofa!" Greez yelps, shooing him away. The little droid trills excitedly, prancing just out of reach. "Get off my sofa! Get- get off my sofa! Go! Get outta there, get out!"

With a final, indignant beep, BD scurries onto the table. Greez straightens and dusts himself off, glaring. Cal smiles slightly. "That is BD-1. He's with us."

"I don't care who hes with. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get oil stains out of potolli-weave fabric?" Greez grouses, inspecting it.

Cal shrugs. "Not really."

"Oh, I hope you found something better out there than this droid." He flings himself onto the sofa, grumbling to himself. Cere sighs. "Calm down, Greez. He did. Tell us, Cal."

Cal sits on the edge of the stairs. "The Vault was built by an ancient civilization called the Zeffo. A Jedi named Eno Cordova hid something inside of it - a holocron from the Archives."

Cere shakes her head with a wry smile. "Cordova, you old fool."

"You knew him?"

"Yes. A long time ago, I was his apprentice. Cordova was a loner. That little droid and I are probably the only ones that know about Bogano."

Greez squints at them. "A holo-what?"

"A holocron. It stores information only accessible to Jedi." Cere stands. "Hang on - I think I have one around here." Cal and Greez follow her into the galley. She hands Cal a crystalline bluish cube. "Use the Force."

Cal concentrates. A vibration runs through the holocron and it splits apart, levitating above his palm. The projection of an aged Jedi Master begins to speak, voice heavy. "This is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen-" He cuts off the connection, and the holocron collapses back into a cube. So it's true.

Cere continues. "With that information on the holocron Cordova must've had a good reason to hide it away. It may be key in defeating the Empire. Or even rebuilding the Order."

"Okay, no problem!" Greez exclaims enthusiastically. "Let's get it!"

Cal speaks up. "Except the holocron is hidden deep inside the Vault and to get it we have to follow Cordova's path. He mentioned something about the planet Dathomir and a Zeffo homeworld."

"Alright, well, where are we going? I'm just asking cause I was thinking of making some food." He grins.

Cal sighs. "Look. Before we do anything He turns to Cere. I need to know something. How come you're no longer a Jedi?"

Cere avoids his piercing gaze. "I had an experience that changed my perspective. So I cut myself off from the Force."

Cal raises an eyebrow. "But you're still following Cordova?"

"I believe whatever he has learned may give us a fighting chance against the Empire. We need anything we can get. What do you believe?" Cere asks.

He tilts his head, placing the holocron on the table. "I believe I can't keep hiding from the Empire, so I don't really have a choice."

"Cal, as long as you're alive, you will always have a choice. Are you with us?" Cere asks.

Cal casts a sideways glance at BD-1. "We're in."

Beee! BD agrees.

Greez good-naturedly whacks Cal's arm. "So. Dathomir or Zeffo?"

Chapter III: Peace in the Eye of the Storm

The Mantis departed for Zeffo shortly after. Cal settled down behind the captains chairs, content with merely sitting and listening. Greez is humming to himself, and Cere had decided to strike up a conversation with BD-1, who sits above the controls. "Do you remember me? I came to Bogano looking for my former Master, Eno Cordova."

Bwee!

"Hi to you, too. You two must have spent a lot of time together alone on that planet."

Bwoooo... BD sounds sad.

"Oh... he must've left right after you were activated. Do you remember the last thing Cordova said to you?" she asks.

BD plays the end of Cordovas log. "Good luck, Jedi. May the Force be with you."

"The log left for Cal... nothing else?"

Boooo...

Cal turns his- Tapal's - lightsaber over in his hands, picking at the damaged end. How quickly things can change.

"Hey kid!" Greez's voice startles Cal. He attaches the saber to his belt and stands. "We're coming up on Zeffo," Greez says as Cal joins him and Cere up front. The Mantis drops out of hyperspace. A blue-green world shrouded in clouds swiftly grows larger in the viewport as they approach.

"Heck of a storm brewing down there," Greez notes, worried. "Might not be the best time to land."

Cal squints at the massive swirl of clouds in the planets northern hemisphere. "Hey, Cordova mentioned something about peace in the eye of the storm. I can just make out a settlement in the middle of it." He points.

"Then we haveto get there," Cere says.

"Copy that," Greez grumbles, flipping a series of switches. The ship vibrates as they descend through the heavy clouds. Cal grabs onto the back of Ceres chair.

"Couple bumps ain't gonna kill ya, kid," Greez teases. "Unless the wind picks up."

BD twitters.

"Can you tell that bucket of bolts to keep his opinion to himself?" Greez snaps.

"I'm sure everything's under control," Cere says calmly. Cal whiteknuckles the seat again with a curse.

"'Course its under control. Just a little tricky..." Greez grits his teeth as they come down, wind whipping about the ship. With a heavy thud, the Mantis lands. Greez grins. "Perfect landing, heh. Greezy money, baby."

"There's something about these winds. I'm getting a lot of interference on the comms," Cere muses, whacking the panel. "Greez and I will stay here and keep an eye out for the Empire."

Boop twee? BD jumps onto Cal's shoulder.

"Yeah. We'll search for signs of Cordova," Cal says, heading for the boarding ramp.

"Good. Ill be in touch once I crack this." She reaches out to him as he passes. "You did good work on Bogano. The more information we gather on Cordova and the Zeffo, the closer well get to stopping the Empire. He was obsessed with them and believed their teachings to be important. But we don't know what were getting into. Be careful, Cal."

He nods, grabbing his poncho and bag from the table and heading out onto the wind-ravaged landing pad. The cool air is thick with humidity and the scent of wet earth. Various supply crates are strewn across the derelict hangar, weathered by the constant winds.

"Any idea where to start?" he asks BD-1.

Bwee...

"Yeah, me either. But that door might be a good place to start."

BD trills in agreement. Cal starts across the landing pad, puzzled by its emptiness. Clearly someone lived here at a point. What happened? He kneels down to inspect one of the more intact crates. BD beeps at him as he closes his eyes and reaches into the past. "It is strange. Whoever they were, they left in a hurry. They didn't want to leave, but..." he trails off.

Booo?

"That's all I've got. It's kinda hazy." Cal straightens and heads to the door. At his approach, it slides open, revealing the backside of a modest dwelling at the edge of a cliff. An uneasy feeling nags at him as he catches sight of an Imperial order tacked to its wall.

Cere's voice suddenly comes through the comm with a burst of static. "Cal, can you hear me?"

Cal jumps, startled. "Y-yeah. The Empire. They found Zeffo," he says quickly, peering at the eviction notice.

"If they were following the Mantis we would've been swarmed already." Cere sounds worried.

"Could they be looking for the tombs?" Cal inquires.

"Let's hope not. Just got our comms working. I'll try the same workaround to crack into theirs." She signs off. Cal sighs, taking a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart.

Dee boop? BD beeps, concerned.

"Just a little on edge, that's all." Cal rolls his shoulders and continues around the side of the dwelling, eyeing the notices posted about. "It's all lies. The Empire just wanted this land." Cal runs a hand over the sandstone-like texture of the wall. Here, the echoes are stronger - he can feel the fear and agitation of the people who had occupied this village. They were pushed from their homes... taken by the Empire.

Cal heads further into the village. Colorful hangings decorate some of the walls, hand woven. They ripple forlornly in the wind, bright against the dull cliffs. An eerie atmosphere hangs over the empty encampment as Cal wanders through the deserted buildings.

A blaster bolt flies over his head, and he ducks. BD trills, and Cal draws his lightsaber.

"It's the Jedi !" A squad of stormtroopers charge down carved rock steps, blasting away. BD takes cover as Cal swings his saber in a tight arc, sending several of the bolts back towards the troopers. The company descends into chaos as Cal leaps forward, lightsaber flashing. Within moments, the hapless stormtroopers lie dead around him.

Bwooooop?

"Can't risk it. We've got to keep moving." Cal pauses, giving the village a last sweeping glance. The abandoned dwellings and their shadows are still, quiet. Cal sticks his saber through his belt and continues on up a small hill leading into a cave.

BD's spotlight dimly illuminates the space, gleaming off several rusted turbines in the ceiling. "This must've been what they used for power," Cal muses, boots echoing on the metal walks. "Been out of service a while, though."

Booo-weee.

"Don't know how long the Empires been here, but..." he trails off.

Ba-woop?

"Cere? She's alright. But there's something about her I can't put my finger on." Cal shrugs, jostling BD. The distant sound of voices echoes through the cavern, and Cal stops. "They're outside," he says softly. "We need to be careful."

Boo?

"Yeah. Let's go." Cal moves forward, senses on high alert. The cavern leads out onto a path wrapping around the side of a steep cliff. A massive statue looms on the mountainside before them, surrounded by Imperial tech. "That's gotta be one of the Zeffo," Cal says. "Guess were on the right track."

Beeeeep?

"We'll start there." Cal edges down the ridge, being careful not to slip on the ice. It had gotten colder as they exited the caverns, and the wind carries with it a biting chill. Looks abandoned, Cal muses. Where is everyone? He swiftly crosses the muddy clearing, sticking close to the base of the statue.

A door to his right suddenly hisses open, and a pair of scout troopers walk out, talking. Cal ducks behind a rock, hand on his lightsaber.

"What do you mean, Project Auger's been deactivated?" the first trooper grumbles.

Project Auger? Cal wonders. He watches as the two walk right by his hiding place and around to the front of the statue. Cal stands, quietly following them.

"There's nothing here. Project's been shut down. Simple as that," the second answers. Cal stops. The area in front of the mountainside statue had been cleared, and a multitude of Imperial troops wander the area. A large door leads into the cliff.

What are they doing? Cal stares.

"Hey! You shouldn't be here!"

The shout shocks Cal back to reality, and he presses himself against the rock. A rain of blaster bolts hit the jagged stone, flinging shards past his face. BD trills.

"Yeah, should've been paying more attention to them." Cal ignites his saber. "We need to get inside that statue. I'm gonna make a run for it."

Bee beeee!

Cal moves away from the wall, making a mad dash for the door. He vaults over a pair of troopers and slips inside, taking cover in the doorframe. "BD! Lock that door!" Cal yelps. The little droid chatters and skitters over to the console, sealing the doors with a jolt to the system.

Cal lets out a sigh of relief, deactivating his lightsaber and leaning against the wall. He squints. "Wasn't expecting this."

Whooo?

"It's a giant Zeffo statue. Kinda expecting there would be Zeffo stuff inside," Cal says, straightening and peering around. "That door won't hold them forever. We'd better get moving."

Right on cue, an explosion echoes outside, and dust falls around them. BD scrambles onto Cal's shoulder and they head deeper into the mountain. The dark facility seems deserted, stripped entirely of equipment.

What is going on here? Cal wonders. For a discontinued project, they certainly have a lot of security. He proceeds further into the abandoned halls, eyeing the crates haphazardly strewn about. "So careless," Cal murmurs. "Are these all Zeffo artifacts?"

BD gives him an affirming beep.

"They're after the Zeffo too... but for what? None of this makes sense."

Booo.

"Guess we'll find out," Cal says, stopping in front of a large set of doors. With a soft hiss, they slide open, revealing a long landing pad. Several dozen troopers haul the same crates from outside into a transport ship. Cal hides against the edge of the platform as the engines start up and the troopers head back into the facility. As the last of them pass, he calls the Mantis. "Cere, there's a ship leaving the Empire's base."

"I heard. They plan to bring Zeffo artifacts to Coruscant."

"Does that mean-"

"That the Emperor is interested in Zeffo? Maybe. Any sign of Cordova?"

"Not yet. Still looking. I'll let you know if we find anything." Cal straightens and watches as the transport rises into the distance, leaving the platform quiet once more. He sighs. What if I'm in over my head? What if this is all for nothing?

Bee booo? BD-1 nudges him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just hope that this isn't for nothing. Seems like I'm chasing a ghost." Cal peers into the empty halls. "And none of this feels right."

Boop wheee!

"I guess so." Cal continues on, footsteps almost silent on the polished floors. After a few minutes of wandering the halls, quietly taking out stormtroopers, and encountering an increasing number of dead ends, Cal halts, frustrated. "This place is a maze," he grumbles.

BD beeps sympathetically.

"You think you could find a map or something?" Cal asks.

Deeee. Fweee boo?

"That's, uh, not how the Force works." Cal smiles. A breath of cool air ruffles his hair, and he turns. "But I think I found our way out."

Bweee!

"That's not- whatever." He shakes his head. The Imperial halls lead into a rough-hewn rocky tunnel, lit by battery-operated floodlights.

Beebop. Whee!

Just then, Cere calls. "Cal, the Empire's pinpointed your location. You have to move fast."

"On it. Thanks. I'm in some sort of Imperial tunnel under a Zeffo statue."

"What do they know?"

"No mention of Cordova. I don't think the Empire knows he's been here."

"Then we have the advantage... for now." With a click, the link goes quiet. The tunnel suddenly ends in a large rectangular room, covered in aged Zeffo murals. Cal's boots echo on a metal surface, and he looks down. "That's interesting." A circular brass seal contrasts sharply with the dull stone of the rest of the catacomb, its surface carved with a singular symbol. "We're on the right track."

Woohoo! BD jumps down and taps at the seam between the metal and the floor.

"Lift it? Hm. Maybe." He reaches out and concentrates, using the Force to dislodge the seal. It comes free with a loud grinding sound, and Cal sets it down beside them. The brass plate had covered a rusted grate and a long drop into the darkness. He can hear the wind howling through the shaft hundreds of feet below.

Bwoooo... BD climbs onto Cal's back. He stands and heads for the far side of the catacombs, where a thin shaft of sunlight casts waning shadows through a carved archway. Cal squints against the setting sun as he climbs out of the caverns.

The dusty catacombs had led them into a secluded ruin, ravaged by wind and covered in moss. Cal can see the epicenter of the storm across the ruin, strangely contained behind two massive spires. The Force pulls at him from beyond the storm, almost as strong as the wind.

"There's a storm up ahead," he tells Cere. "Something about it crippled the Empire's equipment. I can feel something pulling me... from within the storm."

"Follow it. Let the Force sharpen your instincts."

"I'll do my best." Cal continues across the ruins, eyeing the shining brass plates. They're the same as the one in the catacombs. Are they connected ? Cal wonders, clambering over a fallen column. The loose gravel crunches beneath his boots, sparkling with shards of ancient mosaics in the fading sunlight. Above his head, a broken pathway leads up between the spires, weathered away by the wind.

Cal jumps, latching onto the ledge and hauling himself up. The cyclone whips by across the path in front of him, carrying a slew of rocks and debris. Up on the path, the wind tears at him, a far cry from the serenity of the ruins. "Never seen a storm do that before," Cal remarks, shielding his eyes against the flying dirt.

BD agrees.

"Yeah. It's incredible. How do we get across?" Cal wonders aloud.

Booooop?

"I'll give it a try." Cal takes a breath and concentrates, using the Force to halt the whirling wind. The ruin becomes eerily quiet as the storm slows and the debris caught in its pull hang frozen in the air.

Wheee...

"I meant only to stop the wind, but..." Cal shrugs and heads down the path between the massive spires. An ancient elevator waits at its end, fashioned of the same brassy metal in the other Zeffo-built structures. A spherical device as tall as he is blocks the entrance, carved with various symbols. BD trills suddenly.

"You remember something?" Cal asks.

Bee-beee! The little droid projects Cordova's hologram in front of them. "My friend - I believe this to be the earliest Zeffo site weve uncovered yet. Despite my reservations, I cannot chase the Bogano Vault from my mind. Its visions shaped the direction of an entire culture. I must understand why." The projection fades away.

"That's it?"

Boo. Fwee?

"I've never known a forgetful droid. Maybe you'll remember more later." Cal sets his shoulder against the sphere. Despite its large size, it is surprisingly light. It rolls into the center of the elevator and settles in a carved receptacle with an echoing chime. A rumbling reverberates through the spires, and the elevator begins to descend as the winds begin to howl once more.

------
I am going to kill the punctuation coding like anakin killed the younglings

Why did Anakin cross the road

To get to the dark side ha ha ha

I'm not dead, just working on my actual novel and dealing with things as they come. Will try to work on this some more, but probably won't post art unless I reeeaaallly feel like it. Working on a new cover for my published novel. And as far as video games, my mind's in Final Fantasy land right now. xD Great game, greater music.
As far as JFO the novel goes, my focus will be on AO3 (link in parent post) because it's soooo much easier to format. The horror stories I have about sylestia's cut-and-paste...
Tally ho, lads and ladies... for now.
So I guess what I mean to say is intermittent updates and nonsense?

Wow yes how coincidental I upload this on Star Wars day itself
It's been a long (long time ago in a galaxy far far away?) while since I've worked on (or played) JFO. Please yell at me if Cal isn't acting like himself. I've been writing my own book and Mr. MC tends to bleed over. Shameless self-plug: go check it out on Amazon.com. Demons, curses, gray morality galore
Hiraeth: Insomnia of the Heart


OH MY GONADS IT'S A MIRACLE my formatting was kept let's celebrate
Abort abort it did not
----

"For an advanced civilization of supposed Force-users, they could really have taken some time to make a better elevator." Cal sits against the brass wall, twirling a hydrospanner across his knuckles. The Zeffo elevator had been descending for the better part of two minutes, painfully slow. BD-1 had taken to scurrying about the space, peering at every symbol and twittering to himself.

The elevator lands suddenly, jarring Cal. He grumbles tiredly and stands as the brass gates soundlessly slide away, revealing a vaulted hall carved with depictions of the Zeffo.

Bee bee beee ! BD hops onto his shoulder, chattering excitedly.

"I'm in the tomb," Cal tells Cere, starting down the corridor.

"And the Empire ?"

"No sign of them down here."

"What about Cordova?"

"Still not sure what I'm supposed to find." Cal peers down the hall. "He's a little..."

"Eccentric? Tell me about it. But he wouldn't send us here for his amusement. Keep an open mind." The line goes quiet. Cal yawns, rubbing his eyes. I'm in no shape to fight. If they find me, I'm toast. "You got anything, BD?"

Booo wooo.

Cal sighs, walking on. "I'll rest when we get somewhere more out of the way."

Beeoooo. Wheee.

"You don't know that. They're everywhere."

Wooo.

"I'm not paranoid. I've seen things," he says sullenly. "They know everything." The corridor opens into a larger hall with two large bronze doors at the end. Silver moonlight filters through the shimmering dust of eons past, and Cal can see the night sky through distant cracks in the rock. BD-1 wanders off to examine the Zeffo runes and murals cover the sandy walls.

"This figure. Who are they?" Cal wonders. The same Zeffo appears throughout the tomb.

Whee boo bee.

"Sage Eilram? This must be their tomb." Cal stares up at the doors. "Behind those doors."

Booo-boo.

"Aren't you impatient? Alright." Cal reaches out, and a strange feeling washes over him. He blinks, and the tomb is gone, replaced by a haze of desaturated blue. Jaro Tapals ghostly figure stands before him, a faint outline in the fog.

"Master?" Cal breathes.

"Apprentice. It is time for instruction."

Cal waits in silence, unsure of what to expect. Tapal continues. "The Jedi do not seek aggression, but we stand against it. The Force is there to guide us. The obstacles in your path define the path. What stands in the way becomes the way. Remember this, and go forward."

The vision fades, and the doors swing open with the grinding shriek of old metal. A gust of wind ruffles his hair as he walks through the doors. Booboobooboooo! BD whacks his ear.

"What was that for?" Cal gripes.

Fwee whee.

"I wasn't taking long. Master Tapal..."

Bwoo.

"The Force is strong in this place. The teachings of this Zeffo sage..." Cal trails off. A low-pitched tone echoes through the circular room as the wind he felt flows through the brass chimes hanging from the ceiling. The echoes Cal closes his eyes, listening. "It's not just wind rippling through these chimes. Voices... from the past." A simple melody He walks to the center of the circular chamber, reaching out to the Force. The tone fluctuates as the wind picks up, three notes over and over again. The room rumbles, and the circular section he stands on begins to descend into a small amphitheatre.

Cal bends down, brushing his fingers against the faded seal in the center. "This was used in a Zeffo meditation ritual. They were training Force users." He yawns again.

Boooooo?

"A little. I've gone for longer."

Bee boo boo bee.

Cal sighs, sitting down. "Fine. There's no rush, I guess. We'll spend the night... or what's left of it - here."

Fwee?

"I fell asleep hanging from a half-mangled light cruiser. In the rain," he grumbles. "Solid rock is a luxury. Keep an eye out for me, okay?"

Hwee!

Cal lies down and rests his head on crossed arms, swiftly drifting off into a fitful sleep.

-----

Someone's looking for me. The feeling filters into his dreams, clear as the day. Cal isn't sure who or how, but something is staring over his shoulder. He turns. A featureless shadow lurks at the edge of his vision, radiating malice.

"You will find peace here," a familiar voice says. "That darkness has no power in this tomb."

Cordova? Cal wonders. An indistinct figure stands between him and the shadow. "Why-"

"Sage Eilram's teachings they cannot hold out forever. You must wake, Padawan. There isn't much time." Cordovas tone is grave.

"Wait-!" Cal starts forward, but an earthquake shatters the dreamscape. He wakes with a start, tangled in his poncho. With a curse, he shoves the worn leather off his face and sits up, breathing erratic. The tomb shakes again, dust raining from the ceiling.

BD chirps at him, worried.

"I'm fine. What's going on?"

Bee bee boo beedee!

"Yeah. The Empire must've started drilling. He was right - we don't have much time." Cal gets to his feet.

Bee?

"Uh, Cordova. Long story. He showed up in a dream." Cal cracks his back and starts towards the closed doors at the far end of the rotunda. "I'm still not sure what were supposed to find, but I think it's through there."

Boop whee?

"Huh. Maybe Cordova just wanted us to see this place. The Force is strong here."

"Seek out the hidden tombs of the three sages and learn to perceive the mysteries of the Force as the Zeffo once did." BD relays the snippet of recording. Beee boo .

"Exactly." Cal uses the Force to push open the massive doors. Dust rains from the ceiling as he enters the large chamber. A stylized carving of a tree takes up the entire back wall, and numerous artifacts and ceramics are piled around the room. Bronze windchimes hang above them, moving gently in the drafts. A massive sarcophagus is embedded in the floor, decorated with golden patterns and carvings.

BD jumps from Cal's shoulder and skitters to the carving of the tree. Cal follows, peering around in wonder. Never seen anything like this before.

Cordova's voice echoes through the space. "My friend, take a look at the detail on this bark!" His hologram gestures enthusiastically to the tree as Cal hurries over. "The distinctive striations It can only be a wroshyr tree from Kashyyyk. Its time to call on an old friend. If the Zeffo had contact with Kashyyyk There is a good chance Chieftain Tarfful will know about it." The hologram vanishes.

"Kashyyyk..." Cal repeats.

Boodoo.

"Sounds like it."

-----

It turned out the tomb was one giant loop. "The door didn't look like one," he protests. "Maybe that's the point?"

BD gives him a disappointed beep as they enter the elevator. Cal radios the Mantis. "Cere?"

"What did you find?"

Always to the point. "The Zeffo went to Kashyyyk. Cordova mentioned someone named Tarfful."

"A Wookiee chieftain. They were old friends."

"Think he's still around?" Cal asks.

"Theres only one way to find out. We have to go to Kashyyyk."