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Cal clutched his master's lightsaber to his chest, his eyes tightly closed as the escape pod rocketed towards the surface of Bracca. He couldn't stop his Psychometry from activating, from seeing the memories associated with the lightsaber.
It wasn't the first time he had held Master Tapal's saber. He’d had it handed to him plenty of times. But Jaro had always been careful to try and work nice memories into the echoes it gave off after they had discovered his abilities. Memories of praise after a good training session. Of laughter and warmth and protectiveness.
Now all of those memories were gone, replaced by things that made his eyes burn all over again. He could feel his Master's pain, his fear, his determination to protect his Padawan even as his body began to fail him. All Cal could think was that if he hadn't been so determined to protect him, if Cal hadn’t been so weak , he would still be alive.
"I'm sorry!" Cal sobbed, clutching the saber even tighter. "I'm so sorry, Master."
The pod shuddered as it entered the atmosphere of Bracca, and a matter of moments later, it hit the ground with a thundering crash. He screamed as he flew across the pod, slamming into the opposite wall. His head hit the metal and for a moment, everything went black.
Cal shivered on the floor, groaning at the pain in his head. Opening his eyes, he whimpered at the sight of Jaro's limp arm lying across the floor in front of him. Pushing himself up and away, he dragged himself over to the side of the pod, curling in on himself as he stared at the body.
It suddenly struck him that he was the only one left. The Albedo Brave had exploded, taking all of the Clones, all of his friends with it. And now Master Tapal was dead. He was completely, and utterly alone.
He didn't know how long he sat there, unable to take his eyes off of the body. Unable to move. To take those vital steps towards getting out of the pod and finding somewhere safe. He might have stayed there forever, if not for the sparks coming from the broken electronics that came far too close to him. He hissed as some of the stray sparks hit the bare skin of his hand, and finally pushed himself up.
His whole body ached furiously, and he wanted nothing more than to just curl up and cry. But his Master had told him that he had to wait for the Council's signal. He had to get somewhere safe.
Against the wall next to Jaro's body was a small compartment, packed with some emergency supplies. Cal looked nervously at the body, before edging around it as quickly as possible. Tearing open the small locker, he grabbed everything he could and shoved it into the small bag in there.
It wouldn't last long. It was only some bare essentials to last until a rescue ship came. Some basic medical supplies, some food, a blanket, and a few other little things. But hopefully, it would be enough. Master Tapal had told him to wait for the Council's signal. He just had to keep himself alive and safe until they came to get him.
Snatching Jaro's saber off of the ground where it had fallen during the crash, he made his way over to the door of the escape pod. Taking one last look at what was left of his Master, his eyes burning, he pulled the lever that forced the door open.
Heavy, ice cold rain immediately began to pour through the door, soaking him to the skin in a matter of seconds. Stepping fully out into the rain, he blinked furiously, trying to clear his eyes enough to see where he was going.
From what little he could see, there was a settlement some distance away, it's lights glinting through the heavy rain. He adjusted the bag over his shoulder, preparing himself for the long walk through the rain, when his Master’s words entered his mind.
“Trust only in the Force.”
He froze as he remembered the Clones coming after them. Shouting that they had found the Jedi. Tears rose in his eyes as he remembered them firing at him. He didn't understand. They had been his friends... hadn't they? Why would they do something like that? Had their friendship been a lie all along?
He didn’t know if there were any Clones left on Bracca after the last battle they had taken part in, but he couldn’t take that risk. He had to disguise himself. Looking down at his clothes, soaked to the skin as they were, he tried to figure out which parts were the most recognisable. Placing the bag onto the ground, he unfastened the belt from around his waist and pulled off the brown tabard and the long outer tunic, leaving him in the thin, white shirt he wore underneath. Shivering in the sudden cold, he threw the clothes into the flames that were slowly taking over the pod, trying not to think of what else the fire was burning.
He stood there for some time, feeling numb as he stared into the flames, tears sliding down his cheeks. Something in the fire crackled, sending the flames higher. H e flinched backwards, scrubbing his face furiously to banish the tears. He gathered what little he had and started towards the settlement in the distance, not allowing himself to look back. He could mourn properly later, when he was safe. But right now? Right now he had to honour Master Tapal’s sacrifice.
Right now he had to survive.