The Path of a Jedi Book 2 (The Bad Batch x Reader)

Chapter 20

You arrived on Nevarro and landed on the outskirts of a city. The bay door opened as Rex was gathering you in the cargo hold.

"Everyone grab a crate and move it outside," he instructed, "we are going to be meeting someone by the name of Cal, he is the one that contacted us."

You nodded and the other began moving the crates out of the ship. After all the crates were unloaded, Hunter walked up to you, "are you sure this is right?"

You shook your head, "I don't know, but I trust Rex."

"It isn't Rex I don't trust," he whispered, "it's this new alliance."

You opened your mouth to respond, but at that moment something seemed to be pulling you, like the feeling you got when you saw Ahsoka, only this time is was less familiar.

You turned to see a cloaked figure approaching you and instinctively rested your hand on your lightsaber hilt. Hunter noticed and followed your gaze, "Rex," he shouted.

Rex turned and saw the figure he moved closer to you as did the others, instinctively in attack positions.

As the figure got closer, he raised his hands in surrender and slowly lowered his hood. "Relax friends, I am the one who contacted you."

The man had a kind face with dirty orange hair. Rex relaxed but you did not, there was something more about this man, you just didn't know what it was.

Rex approached the man and shook his hand, "Rex," he introduced, "we have the supplies you requested."

The man smiled, although now that he was closer, he looked significantly younger, "Cal Kestis, pleasure to meet you." He shook Rex's hand, but his eyes were on you, like he could feel the pull too.

"These supplies will go a long way to help these people," Cal continued, "they have had a rough time since the guilds took control, but maybe now we can finally have the strength to fight back."

Hunter glared Cal down, "you really think that is a good idea?"

Cal chuckled, "if more people do not rise up for themselves, we are all doomed to suffer under imperial rule." He turned back to Rex, "I will lead you to our encampment to unload, your ship will be safe here."

Rex nodded then turned to Rafa, who was sitting on the ground with Omega and Trace drawing pictures in the dirt, "Rafa, stay with the ship, we'll be back soon."

She nodded then turned back to giggling with the other girls. You smiled at Omega and then grabbed a crate, following Cal and the others.

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It did not take long to get to the encampment, it was hidden among cooled lava rocks at the base of a large volcano. The lava cooled in a way that it made it easy to shelter a large group of people, yet close enough to an active volcano that the guilds probably did not venture out here.

"Welcome to our humble camp," Cal gestured as you walked through the center as people stared at you, "we have accumulated more and more people as the guilds chase more people out of the main cities."

Cal stopped and you all lowered the anti gravity of the crates. People gathered around you as they realized what you had. Rex motioned for you all to open the crates, but Hunter hesitated, "are we sure about this?"

Rex chuckled, "You really are distrusting, just open the crate."

Hunter still hesitated, but you nodded and opened your crate. You were surprised as you shrugged the lid off and glanced at all of the other open crates. Instead of weapons, they were filled to the brim with food and medical supplies, not a single weapon among them.

"Still think it is a bad idea," Cal chuckled, clapping Hunter on the shoulder.

Hunter was surprised, but he smiled as he looked at the thankful faces of the people. "These people want to fight the Empire, but they could never do it without proper supplies and food," Cal explained, "they'd all have died of starvation or infection months ago."

Hunter nodded to him but said nothing. You smiled at him and at the people around you taking handfuls of food or bandages. You realized then that you may not have the upmost trust in this new leadership of the rebels, but one thing was for certain, they were doing good.

You walked off a little ways away from the crowd and sat on a large lava rock. You were playing with the edges of your beskar armor when someone cleared their throat behind you. "Mind if I join you?" Cal said as he came into view.

You nodded and he sat next to you on the large rock. "You're not from here are you?" you asked him.

He shook his head, "I am not really sure I was born, but I am on my way to Bracca."

You looked at him, "Bracca is in the mid rim, how'd you end up way out here?"

Cal shrugged, "my ship crashed here, it was close to irreparable, but these people took me in," he explained, "cared for me and shared everything they had, even though they had almost nothing," he trailed off.

"So you feel obligated to help them," you finished, "because they helped you?"

He nodded. You could tell there was more he wanted to say, but you could sense his fear so you did not push him. There was something more about Cal, something familiar about him, but you shook it out of your head and stood up.

"It is admirable that you help them," you continued, "when the time comes for you to move on, you will know it. There is something about you that I cannot place, but I know you were meant for more than this."

Cal looked surprised but nodded to you in thanks. You walked away from him, leaving him to ponder your words as you regrouped with the others. Rex waved goodbye to Cal and the people and led you all back to the ship.

Hunter fell into step with you, "what's his story?" he asked, nodding to the rock Cal was sitting on.

You smiled distantly, "I suppose he is just like us."

Hunter looked confused, "how so?"

You looked back at the small village, although you couldn't see anyone anymore, "he was trying to find a path in the world and by a happy accident, he ended up a part of something much bigger."

Hunter nodded in understanding and you continued on to the ship. You arrived with reservations about the people around you, but left with a sense of security, a sense that you were actually a part of something good and right.

It was a silent trip back to rebel command, but when you arrived back on Polis Masa, the base was in an uproar of panic and fear.