Kissed by Fire: Cal Kestis

Chapter 10

A man sat at a table, staring down at the hologram of their Chancellor. His eyes were sullen, the man in the hologram hooded from his gaze. Cal was confused as he approached the man. He had never seen this person in his life. His hair was slightly longer, and he had pointed features on his face. Stepping closer, however hesitantly, Cal heard the familiar voice of then Chancellor Palpatine.

His breath quickened when he saw the face of the Sith Lord before him. He learned quickly that Chancellor Palpatine had taken a young Darth Vader under his wing in secret while the Jedi were busy fighting his war. No one knew who Darth Vader was before he turned to the machine he is today, but when he marched on the Jedi Temple, many said it was under the leadership of a Jedi Master. Cal was unfortunately oblivious to any such Jedi. Any rumor he heard about Vader's identity, he kept far away. He didn't want to know who betrayed them.

"The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated!"

Cal's thoughts were interrupted by the speech echoing from the hologram projector. The man in front of Cal bowed his head in anguish, holding his head in his hands as he muttered words that the Jedi could not hear until he finally raised his head.

"Please, please, Ivaah. By the Force, I hope you've survived," Cal heard him say, and a chord struck in his mind. That name. Ivaah. He couldn't understand why it sounded so familiar to him.

"Any collaborators will suffer the same fate. These have been trying times, but we have passed the test."

Palpatine's speech continued on in the background as the man stood from his seat and began pacing. Tears edged onto the corners of his eyes as he steepled his hands in front of his mouth in anxiety. Cal caught sight of something around his pinky finger. It was a ring, with a black obsidian band and a purple jewel in the center. Recognition hit Cal like a trainwreck, and a sudden voice from beside the man made him realize where he was.

"Papa? What's going on? There's smoke coming from the Temple!" a young girl of twelve years came rushing out from the next room. Cal would recognize her anywhere.

That little girl was Y/n, and this man was her father.

"It's okay, sweetheart," the man spoke softly, but his voice wavered. Cal could tell Y/n had noticed the weakness in his voice.

"No, Papa. If it was okay, you wouldn't be crying," Y/n said, brushing her thumb over a stray tear that had managed to fall down his cheek. Cal felt like he was intruding, but he didn't know how to escape. There were no doors to leave this memory. It wasn't his. His psychometry never allowed him to see things without first touching an object close to the memory, and he knew that this memory was brought on by other forces. Perhaps his psychometry merely enhanced this certain ability.

Looking back to the scene, the man had his head bowed as he nodded, saying, "You're too smart for your own good."

"The attempt on my life has left me scarred... and deformed... but I assure you, my resolve has never been stronger!"

Palpatine's voice drew the girl to the hologram, sitting in the chair that her father had occupied not two minutes ago. "Is that the Chancellor?" Y/n questioned, and fear was etched in her eyes. "He looks... different."

"They're saying he was attacked," her father told her, taking the seat beside her. He hesitated, but looked to his daughter and said, "I'm going to tell you what I've heard. I think you're old enough now to understand what I'm about to say." Y/n's terror increased as her father paused. "Sweetheart, the clones have attacked the Jedi on the order of the Chancellor. He's saying there was a plot to overthrow him and the Senate."