Kissed by Fire: Cal Kestis

Chapter 8

They ran in silence through the trench leading to Saw's position, the only sound coming every once and a while from BD-1's insistent beeps that he keep a conversation flowing. He hated the fact that his two humans were all of a sudden arguing over Saw Gerrera and his cause. If it were up to BD, all three of them would be back on the AT-AT blowing up plenty of Imperial walkers and TIE fighters. But alas, he was merely the droid. No one ever listened to the droid. Especially when you are as small as BD was.

Luckily for BD, they found him a new upgrade that he would be able to short circuit the Imperial technology with, but not without defeating a giant and rather annoying spider the natives called a wyyyschokk. Y/n had cursed off all spiders, and Kashyyyk, for making such a monstrous animal as the wyyyschokk. Not to mention having to dodge around flame beetles, which blew up like red hot lava on Mustafar right after you killed them.

As Cal climbed the last leg of the trench, Y/n used her grappling hook to whip herself up to Saw's position. The two of them looked ahead to see Saw hovering around his Partisan troops on an outcropping that overlooked the refinery. When Saw noticed Y/n, he gave her a look and said in a whisper, "Didn't expect the reinforcement."

"I just want to help the Wookiees. If it hurts the Empire, that's an added bonus," Y/n nipped back, her distaste evident in her voice. Cal resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her tone.

Saw turned back to Cal, handing him binocs and saying, "Imperial sap refinery lies dead ahead."

"What does the Empire want with tree sap?" Cal questioned in tire, standing and looking over the railing with the binocs.

"Nothing good," Saw replied, glancing between the teenagers. "They refine the sap into a powerful compound and they're rushing to expand production."

Though the binocs, Cal could see the Wookiee slaves amidst the stormtroopers, working on the large cutters that sliced through the trees to the sap. "We have to stop them," Cal said when he kneeled back down.

"That's the plan," Saw claimed as he took back the binocs. "We don't know their endgame, but they've spread themselves too thin. This map we've recovered proves it." Cal took the chip, giving it to BD so he could project the hologram in front of them. Saw pointed through the map. "These refineries double as brutal prison camps. We'll use those cutters to create a distraction while you take your lightsaber and free the Wookiees inside." Y/n didn't like how Saw spoke with Cal, putting a hand to his shoulder like a cry of help. "We'll need their help to stop the Empire."

"Understood," Cal nodded, unaware of the glare Y/n was giving Saw.

The man stood, firing his grappling hook off with one last look at the teens. "You two watch yourselves in there." And with that, him and his men were gone.

Y/n stood with a sigh, shaking her had with an ironic laugh as Cal looked down to BD and excitedly whispered, "You hear that? He said he needs my help."

"Oh, come on, Cal," Y/n scoffed as Cal stood, BD-1 scrambling up his arm and on his back. "Don't get too lost in that lazy eye."

"What is your problem?" Cal demanded, following her down a nearby path. He pushed open a broke door, Y/n walking through before he even had a chance to continue. He did anyway, much to her chagrin. "Why are you so hell-bent on distrusting Saw?"

"His reasons for battle are not what they should be. I said it before, he cares more about winning the war and the thrill of the battle than the actual cause the rebels are standing for," Y/n spoke, not turning around.

"I don't believe that," Cal shook his head. "Why else would he be trying to free the Wookiees and bring down the refinery?"

"Wow, I'm getting deja-vu," Y/n mumbled, more to herself than to Cal, who furrowed his brows. "The Wookiees in there are guerilla fighters. Fighters and troops that can help Saw in battle in the future. I doubt he cared when it was only the Wookiee civilians the Empire was enslaving."