Hostile || Cal Kestis

01 | An Undying Conflict

"letting go doesn't mean giving up, but rather accepting that there are things that cannot be." – Unknown

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They were eye to eye, sparks flickered from their colliding lightsabers. Their faces lit up with colours of red and blue, blending with flashes of purple. They both pushed against one another, rallying for the upper hand.

"I saw what you've been through. You've experienced great suffering," Cal offered sympathetically. "It's not too late to let it go."

"Let go?" She asked viciously. "I'm stronger now because of the pain."

She pulled her lightsaber away, reaching behind her to pull out a green cube – the Holocron.

"I knew you'd come back for this. No thank you?" She mocked as she put the Holocron back. Cal grimaced at her taunt. "You'll never make it out of this place alive."

He moved forward, blocking her attack and sweeping her lightsaber aside. She spun her double-bladed lightsaber making rings of red dance through the air, her attacks vicious and powerful. But Cal had become stronger, he had made peace with his loss and found a semblance of balance in the Force. He fought back, switching between a single blade and a double-bladed lightsaber to dodge her and strike when she was too busy recovering from his mock attacks. BD-1 held onto his shoulder, providing him with Stims when he needed them.

When she began to charge, he pulled the hilts apart using a cross like motion to push her back. She stumbled towards the edge of the platform, and before she could recover, he jabbed his lightsaber forward, aiming for her shoulder.

She fell to her knees with a hiss, her eyes glaring at him. He stretched his hand towards her, using the Force to return the Holocron to him and pocketing it. He switched off his lightsaber, holstering it as he stared down at her.

"Cal!" Cere called, her steps slowing at the sight of Trilla. "You have the Holocron?"

He nodded, watching as Cere looked towards Trilla. He touched Cere's forearm in a show of support.

"Make things right," he said carefully.

Cere stared at him, nodding after a few seconds and dropping his gaze. She turned to her former Padawan.

She was still kneeling on the floor, her arm clutching the wound on her shoulder. Her lip curled into a sneer, her expression enraged with her defeat. Even more so now that her former Master Cere stood over her, holding her lost double-bladed lightsaber.

"It's over, Trilla." Her voice was calm but resolute as she stepped towards her former Padawan.

"Nothing is truly over," Trilla snarled.

"This fight is over." She shifted the weight between her feet. "I know the darkness that is eating you up inside and every day we chose to either feed it or fight it."

"It's too late, Cere." Trilla scoffed, shaking her head.

"No. It's not." Cere reassured. "I know the choice I made took all your choices away. And I failed you." She lowered herself so that she was beside Trilla. "I failed you. And I am so very sorry."

Trilla slowly rose still clutching her wound, she spared a glance to Cal who stood behind Cere. She looked down to see Cere extending a hand towards her.

Her words seemed to give rise to the conflict in Trilla. Cal could feel them pulling her towards the light, and he waited for her to take Cere's hand. Instead the silence was punctuated with mechanical breathing, the hiss of smoke releasing from an upper platform.