Star Wars Jedi: The Haunting

Chapter 5

Cal stared at Merrin for a few seconds, before relenting and deciding that it was finally time to open up. There was no escaping the truth this time.

"Merrin, I've been... seeing things. I don't know – you wouldn't understand." Oh, God, how do I explain this? He thought to himself.

Merrin looked at his lightsaber on the ground, then at where the ruins had been, then at his bruised jaw, then at his bleeding hand. "Was it because of that dream?"

"Yes," said Cal. "Yes, it was. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to worry you more, but-"

"Oh, Cal," said Merrin, walking over and putting a bandage over his hand to stop the bleeding. After she had done that, she hugged him gently. "I wish you had told me earlier. What happened in that dream?"

"I was bound to an old creaky chair in a dark room, and I got visited by Jaro Tapal. Or his spirit. I guess. He told me he was disappointed in me for withdrawing from the war. It really hurt to hear that, even if it was his dead spirit. Even if it was just my imagination – I don't know, it really got to me."

Merrin said nothing, but continued to listen intently.

"I then got visited by a stormtrooper. Or his dead spirit. He was ghostly white and he told me that I had been impulsive. He warned me not to pick a fight with the wrong person, or else I might die like his sister."

"Oh God," said Merrin quietly.

"The worst one was this Purge trooper at the end of the dream. His name is Casey Locker. He told me that I was emotionally stunted, that I was a monster, that I always acted without thinking, he showed me the flaws of the Jedi, and he-" Cal broke off, calming himself before continuing. "He showed me how I had widowed his wife, and caused his son to grow up without a father. Sometimes psychometry can be a curse, Merrin," he said, staring at her. "Psychometry can be a curse."

Merrin looked shocked. Terrified, even. "That was a very bad dream you had, obviously, but how does that explain what happened here?"

At this, Cal found himself pausing to think. He wanted to tell Merrin everything. But he also didn't want to, because he didn't want her to think he was crazy and leave him.

"I... can't explain. If I do, you'll think I'm crazy."

"I could never think of you as crazy, Cal," Merrin said, pulling him close. "I love you."

As they hugged, Cal saw Locker suddenly materialize behind Merrin and start walking towards her. He tensed up. Merrin broke free.

"Cal? Why did you suddenly go tense?"

"B-b-b-behind you," he said, struggling to get his words out.

Merrin turned around, looked at Locker, and frowned. "Cal? There's no-one there. I'm not sure what you're looking at, because there's definitely no-one there."

Locker grinned at Cal, winked, and vanished.

Cal clenched a fist, before forcing himself to calm down, and looked at Merrin sadly.

"It's that Purge trooper, Merrin. Casey Locker. He's - I just – Merrin, I-" he stopped to calm himself down.

Merrin shook her head slowly. Any optimism had disappeared from her expression now, and she had the look of someone who was expecting the worst.

"Locker won't leave me alone, Merrin," Cal said, all in a hurry. "He keeps creeping up on me, he keeps talking to me-"

At that moment, Locker said, "Keep talking all you want. She know you don't love Kata anymore. You know it too."