Hostile || Cal Kestis

02 | A Melancholy Reunion

"things are as they are but we suffer because we imagined different." – Unknown

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The world was a blur, the overhead lights of the familiar ship burned into him as he blinked several times. His nose and throat felt irritated from the water he had swallowed, and his muscles ached from exhaustion. His hand went to his side, feeling the fleeting pains of Vader's lightsaber before he reached up to touch his head, trying to ease the pain that thumped against his skull. His fingers touched his hair and he realized it wasn't wet, not even damp. How long had he been out?

Greez came into view, BD-1 hanging onto his shoulder.

"Trilla." He breathed, gripping onto Greez's forearm.

His abrupt movement was followed almost immediately with a flurry of pain. His hand immediately reached to the source of the pain, the lightsaber wound on his side was padded with a bandage. His head immediately become light and his vision spotted with black.

"She's, she's okay kid. We did the best we could with what we have on board."

Cal felt relief flood through him, but it wasn't enough to settle the guilt that stirred within him. He got up slowly to head to wherever Trilla was but instead was met with a blur of blonde hair and embraced into a hug. He let out a groan as he half-stumbled back against the bed and she immediately let go, taking a step back.

"Sorry," Merrin said in her accent.

He smiled at her apology. His thoughts recalling the green swirls in the water. "That was you in the water, wasn't it?"

She nodded, returning his smile. "I'm glad you're okay." She gestured to wards Greez as she said, "This one would not leave your side."

Greez looked at him with an embarrassed smile, scratching the back of his head. BD-1 hopped off of his shoulder and onto Cal's.

Cal returned his gaze to Merrin. "Thank you." He looked beside him at BD-1. "You too."

There were a few seconds of silence. He looked around the ship, seeing no-one else besides the four of them. No sign of her.

"Where is she?" Greez and Merrin shared a glance. "Where is she?" He repeated determinedly.

He moved past them towards rooms beside his. He stopped abruptly as he stood outside Cere's room. He held back the surge of images, feeling a cold breeze run through him as it truly hit him. She was gone.

"Kid?"

He didn't move. He could hear the little hope Greez had and was probably waiting for him to refute his assumption. But it never came.

"I'm sorry," Cal breathed.

There was a long silence.

Greez nodded, mumbling an apology under his breath as he turned away to return to the front of ship. Merrin glanced at his retreating figure with a furrowed expression before turning back to Cal.

"It isn't your fault."

Cal hung his head, knowing that wasn't true. But he said nothing to counter it because he knew his denial would change nothing. Instead he looked to the still body that lied on Cere's bed, now clothed in something less noticeable than her Empire uniform. The only proof of her survival was the slow and short movement of her chest – she was barely hanging on.

"How is she?" He asked quietly, his eyes never leaving Trilla.

"Not good. I covered her wound and your droid helped her, but there is nothing else we can do here."