Repairing Beyond Ambition - Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order fanfic *EDITING*

Chapter 45

"Got your feet up already, kid?"

Greez swivelled on his pilot's chair after hearing Altheeda re-enter the ship and occupy the sofa. He watched as she made herself comfortable and sprawl across the seat.

"It took a while, but it's all done." She smiled proudly.

"Was it alright out there?" Cere asked, approaching Altheeda from the kitchen area.

"It was fine, nothing bothered me which was a good thing. I needed some time to sort my mind out." She lightly chuckled.

"Well, as along as my ship is looking great." Greez nodded.

"It's a good thing that you're putting all your focus into something productive and that you enjoy."

"Thank you." Altheeda smiled gratefully.

"Is there anything else you need to do?" Greez asked.

"Not at the moment, no."

"How about I walk you through a game of Sabacc?"

"Greez, we've talked about this." Cere mildly scolded.

"I'm not into card games, I just like to observe." She politely declined.

"I'm sure she's seen plenty of them at Bracca." The former Jedi added.

"She hasn't witnessed a masterclass." The latero bragged.

"And I don't think I'll be watching one here." Altheeda joked.

Cere chuckled at her response as Greez stifled a smirk as he folded his arms and huffed. While they were creating banter and rapport, commotion began to occur outside the Mantis, sounding as if it was a short distance away judging from how it could just about be heard over their conversation. Altheeda shot up in an upright postion and Cere turned her head to the door.

"What's going on out there?" She frowned.

They fell silent to listen to the noise as it grew nearer and they looked at one another to see if one of them deciphered what it was. Cere once again spared a glance to the door and squinted at the environment outside to try find the disturbance.

"I just polished as well." Altheeda grumbled. "What is that?"

"It's Cal... there's something chasing him!" Cere spoke fretfully.

"What did this kid bring back with him?" Greez wondered aloud.

Urgent steps came speeding into the Mantis which belonged to none other than the Jedi himself. He was a wild concoction of fear, anger and exhaustion. He leaned against the frame towards the cockpit, his energy draining from his body rapidly.

"Get us out of here!" He yelled.

Altheeda turned to the door concernedly, trying to decipher what was out there that had him so alarmed.

"What'd you do, kid? I got dead witches crawling across the ship!"

"Just go! Just go." Cal panted lowering his head.

As Greez manoeuvred the Mantis away from Dathomir and the witches, the Jedi began to slide down against the cockpit door frame onto the floor. Altheeda had never seen him this vulnerable in a long time. Her heart ached for him and disregarded their situation, immediately on her feet, striding towards his side and kneeling down to his level. The sympathy in her eyes was intense and Cere noticed this as she approached Cal slowly and she too knelt down in front of him. Greez could only glance to the side as he piloted, but he too felt great sadness for him.

"What happened?" Cere asked gently.

Altheeda put a tentative hand on his shoulder, he was too engrossed in his lightsaber to notice and she completely understood. He cradled his weapon in both hands, his face was etched with sorrow. All he could do was lift it to Cere, unable to speak momentarily. The redheaded girl listened to the conversation, knowing she had nothing to input and just wanted to provide a comforting presence.

"Your Master's lightsaber..." The captain stated.

"I saw him. Master Tapal. I... I saw the day he died. I saw what I did."

"Cal-"

"Now it's destroyed. I couldn't save him." The Jedi spoke, his voice wavering and his eyes welling up.

She began to rub his shoulder in a comforting fashion and watched as Cere continued to speak rationally to him.

"Cal, you were only a child."

"No! No, I could have helped him if I was stronger and braver, if I would have listened to him. I could have helped him!" He spoke as he pressed a finger on his lightsaber when he put emphasis on certain parts of his sentences.

The former Jedi glanced at Altheeda, who gave her guilty look but she shook her head to signal that she did not need to feel that way. His tears grew into not only ones of anguish but also anger.

"It's time I told you all everything that happened to me when I escaped the Empire."

Cere began to make herself comfortable by moving her legs into a sitting position and leaning against the frame, opposite to Cal. Altheeda also took the time to adjust, tucking her shins underneath her.

"They brought Trilla into the room... and when I saw her eyes; they showed me what I had caused. She was an inquisitor." She recounted, an expression of grief plastered on her face. "Something within me gave and I lost all control. I tapped... into the dark side... and I killed them all. I killed every last one of them except for her."

She lowered her head as she tried to compose herself. Every word she had spoken was heavy for her and Altheeda could see the pain in her eyes.

"For years, I couldn't forgive myself." Cere continued. "I was a wreck, I had all this rage. I tried pushing it down, but there was no hiding from myself and all I wanted to do was die."

Cal squeezed his eyes shut, partly due to his overwhelming tiredness and his efforts in absorbing this new information about Cere.

"But then I learned about the holocron and it was a spark of hope that there could be a future; that we could move on."

He then lowered his head, deep in his thoughts and turmoil as the woman opposite him stood back onto her feet. Altheeda looked up at her curiously and she quietly signalled for the redheaded girl to do the same. Her hand slowly slipped off of his shoulder and she rose into a standing position and took a step back to give him space.

"Get up." Cere commanded.

Cal apprehensively clambered onto his feet and glanced at her as Altheeda witnessed the conversation.

"I can't change what I did, no more than you can change what happened to your Master. It's in the past, Cal. You have a choice to move on."

"How?"

"You're going to start with this."

She gestured to his lightsaber before gently lifting it higher in his hold so it was closer to their range of vision.

"Build a new one."

Cal stared down at his broken weapon momentarily before meeting Cere's stare and wiping a tear. He then made his way towards his cabin and the two women watched him go. Altheeda's eyes were fixated on the door, long after he had made his exit. Cere put a caring hand on her shoulder.

"I'll handle this. Try not to worry." She empathised.

All Altheeda could do was nod, her vision still tunnelled on the door, his words of depair replaying in her mind as she mulled over what had just unfolded.