Chapter Text
The sands of Tatooine remained unchanged with the passage of time. Ten years had passed since the fall of the Republic, with the Empire growing only stronger. The Emperor ruled with an iron fist, hunting down the remaining Jedi left in the galaxy, while the Mantis crew had managed to escape the clutches of Darth Vader by the skin of their neck.
Bode had betrayed all of them by revealing the location of the hidden path, and Cere considered herself lucky to have made it out alive out of the archive just in time. The same could not be said about Master Cordova; his body remained cold in the archive while they fled for their lives. Cere could see the rage and resentment on Cal's face. He avoided everyone, retreating into the engine room while they made their quick escape. Tatooine was, as far as she could tell, the safest place for them to hide for the moment, a quiet place to regroup and gather their strength.
Merrin was by her side, her expression mournful. The betrayal had come so suddenly that it made Cere's blood boil with anger. Bode was a Jedi, and he used Cal from the start to fulfill his selfish needs. A coward, she pondered, wondering how he managed to hide himself so well, even from her.
Greez landed the ship in a fairly remote area, the scenery overtaken with sand as far as the eye could see. The Mantis was filled with an unnerving silence, and Greez approached her with a worried look on his face.
"Where's Cal?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern.
"He's back in the engine room with BD."
"I still can't believe Bode was an imperial spy—and a Jedi too! How is that even possible?"
"I don't know. he must have cut himself off from the force completely."
"He can do that?" Merrin finally spoke, her eyes fixated on Cere.
"With a great deal of focus, yes, it is possible." Cere sighed, her mind wandering over to Cal. He was clearly suffering deep inside, pushing everyone far away while he struggled to make sense of the situation.
Cere did not condemn him for his reaction at all. Everyone on this ship had felt the sting of betrayal at some point in their lives, yet this one felt personal on so many levels. So she kept quiet for the moment, unable to say more.
"I'll go talk to the kid..." Greez had already left her side, wandering towards the engine room.
Tatooine had seen better days, but as far as Cere could tell, the planet was mostly barren, the ground covered in a large sand ocean. They will make camp here for the rest of the day, hiding near a large formation of cliffs. The fire was burning slowly while she noticed a shift to her side.
Cal took place near her, his expression grim while he eyed the flames in front of him. She stayed quiet, watching him with a heavy heart. They sat like this for a moment, both lost in thought, until Cal's voice almost startled her.
"We have to find Bode. He needs to pay for what he did."
Cere nodded weakly, and she took a deep breath before she began to speak.
"I understand the pain and frustration you feel right now, and I can't stop you from feeling like this. I agree; he needs to pay. But finding him won't be easy. As long as he has the compass, he'll always be one step ahead of us."
"I can't believe I trusted him!" Cal's voice grew louder, the pain and anger pulsating in his words.
"Nobody could have foreseen his intentions. He fooled us all."
"No! I should have been… I should have been able to sense him. He lied from the beginning, and I believed him!"
"I know. I'm sorry, Cal, I really am."
"It's not your fault, Cere. The only one we should blame is Bode. That kriffin' bastard!"
Cere nodded in agreement, her heart slowly filling with concern over her friend. If Cal continued like this, soon his anger would get the better of him. She hated seeing him so enraged, even if his feelings were justified, and she hoped to find a way to calm him down before he did something he regretted.
"I have managed to make contact with the remaining anchorites. They are scattered into the desert, hiding until they can find safe passage off-world." Merrin spoke, taking a seat next to Cal, while Greez placed himself next to Cere. They all stood around the fire, an unnerving silence hovering over them, until Greez decided to break it.
"You said Bode had a daughter? He must be going to get her before leaving."
"We don't know where she is. She could be anywhere in this galaxy," Cal replied in an almost defeated tone.
"If only he had a tracker on him, then we could put a bounty on his head."
"It won't help. Once he leaves for Tanalorr, nobody can follow him without the compass. It's over, Merrin. We lost."
Merrin sighed deeply, her hand wandering over to Cal's. She took his hand into her own, squeezing it gently, and he closed his eyes for a moment, allowing himself to grieve. Everything they had worked so hard for had been ruined instantly by the man he once considered his friend.
Bode was a traitor who used him from the start and he felt resentment starting to build inside his body. He felt he could not trust anyone anymore, locking himself deep inside and putting his barriers up. It was better this way, he reasoned, refusing to befriend any more strangers from now on. The Mantis crew was the only group he could ever trust—his true family—who never tried to deceive or hurt him like Bode did.
The morning was getting closer, and the fire in front of them began to simmer down. Tatooine was indeed as big as it was barren, and Cere gazed into the smoldering flames, wondering if what Cal had said was true. If Bode was unreachable on Tanalorr, they would have to find another safe place to rebuild the hidden path, away from the ever-watchful eyes of the Empire.
This planet seemed like a good start, with the sand dunes providing a much-needed cover. The Empire had nothing to claim from this world any more, and nobody would notice an underground shelter in a world filled with sand. Surviving here would be difficult but not entirely impossible, and Cere began to regrow some of her lost hope.
"BD? See if you can use the scanner on the Mantis to find shelter." She gave him a quick smile, and the droid jumped to his feet, already running towards the mantis.
"What did you have in mind?" Cal asked, looking at her confused.
"This is all that remains of the archive," she said, pointing towards two small holo-books placed on the ground near her legs. "If we want to rebuild and recover, we need to find a safe place to do so. Maybe this world has more to offer than we can see."
"That's a great idea, Cere. I go help BD run the scan faster." Greez was now on his feet, walking slowly until he disappeared behind the main doors.
"What if they find us here?" Cal asked, his eyes fixated on the cinders in front of him, visibly defeated.
"They won't. I will use my magick to conceal our location until we can recover." Merrin grew closer, placing a gentle arm around his shoulder to comfort him. He leaned into her touch, his chest rising gradually and his mind deep in thought.
Cere climbed to her feet, her expression calm while she looked at the young couple in front of her. She had a small idea of what was going on between the two of them, but she did not dare speak against it. Cal was a grown man now, and he was free to decide his own path. If what he wished for was to be with Merrin, she would not stand between his happiness and hers. Cere knew they both needed each other now more than ever, and she gave a quick smile while she turned to leave.
She needed a quiet place to meditate, gather her thoughts, and clear her mind. This barren desert was perfect for this, and she walked further from the camp until she reached a small sand dune. The place was perfect; the moon's light illuminated the scenery perfectly, and she kneeled to the ground as a wave of calmness surrounded her. The silence around her was all she needed right now.
Focus, she chanted inside her mind. Let the force flow right through you.
She closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel all the living things around her. The wind blew gently, brushing her skin while her ears focused on the sound of the little whomp rats running underground. This planet felt almost peaceful, in a peculiar sense. It was as if the Empire had yet to reach its surface, even if she knew the truth to be quite the opposite. The Empire was everywhere, even in small worlds or desolate places like these.
Cere reached further, foolishly hoping to sense something. She never expected her search to amount to anything, yet there was a strange feeling creeping inside her head. Perhaps she was feeling tired or simply shaken after fleeing Jedha so suddenly, but she believed she had felt someone reach back.
No, it can't be, she said, closing her eyes again and starting to focus hard. The force guided her again, and she felt that same sensation again, but stronger. In all her years spent trying to find hidden Jedi and help them, she had only felt this particular strong sensation twice. All the Jedi helped by the hidden path were now safe, or so she had hoped, and Cere focused on that feeling again, trying to find its source.
If there was a Jedi on this planet, they were reaching out to her, either by choice or by accident. So she reached back until a vision appeared inside her mind—a hidden cave on the other side of the desert. Hope rose inside her as she stood up quickly, rushing back towards the camp. Merrin and Cal were still holding hands, embracing near the now extinguished fire, and they both stood up at the sight of her, clearly embarrassed.
"We need to cross the desert to the other side fast."
"Why?"
"I felt something. I can't explain it, but I think there might be another Jedi on this planet. I felt it through the force just a moment ago." Cere was already walking past them, ready to enter the mantis.
"A Jedi? Are you sure?" Cal was by her side in an instant, his eyes lighting up with a glimmer of hope.
"I'm certain. Even if it turns out to not be true, we need to see for ourselves. Who knows who it might be?"
Cal looked at Cere for a brief moment, silently fearing who they might find on the other side. This day could only get worse from here on, and he hated feeling so disappointed and angry by this whole ordeal. Still, the possibility of helping another Jedi in need arose, and he entered the ship with Merrin while Greez made all the preparations for their fast departure.
Tatooine at night was a completely different sight, and she couldn't help but feel a tinge of worry budding inside her chest. The place she had seen in her vision was not far away, with Greez landing the ship in the middle of the desert as soon as they reached their destination.
"We'll walk from here on. We can't risk giving our position away in case the Empire followed us."
Greez released a small protest, his mouth murmuring under his breath as he began packing his bag with supplies.
"It's not that far away. We'll reach the cave in no time."
"I don't know Cal; I just don't like leaving her alone like this. What if raiders or pirates see her?"
"That's why we left BD-1 in charge until we get back. You got this, BD!" Cal raised his hand to gesture toward BD, who returned the wave with his metal leg and whistled loudly. "See? There's nothing to worry about."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Lead the way." The crew departed the ship, with Greez giving one last look at his beloved ship before heading out into the arid desert.
The climate in this world was so different from Jedha despite their similar geography, and Merrin's eyes wandered over the twin suns slowly beginning to rise. The scenery almost looked similar to her home world, with the golden glow of the sun illuminating the peaceful environment.
The burning heat was surprising, though, and she cast her eyes over to Cal, who was already beginning to sweat profoundly. She knew that he preferred a much cooler climate given his complexion, but she couldn't help but stare as the sun shone through his hair, accentuating the already bright copper.
Cere led the way as they walked slowly through the desert until a small cave could be seen right in front of them. It looked just like in her vision, and she stepped closer, admiring the scenery, before deciding it was best for all of them to step inside.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" She began to speak, her voice echoing into the tall cave ceiling while her feet guided her further inside.
The place seemed mostly empty, save for a few metal crates filled with rusted junk, and she wondered who could live in such dire conditions. A small, secluded location was perfect for a Jedi in hiding, yet this planet lacked the resources to survive on its own. Whoever lived here must have made regular trips to the nearby towns in order to survive. She tried to reach out through the force but was met with a cold space instead, as if her vision had guided her to the wrong place. No,this must be the location, she reasoned, deciding to investigate further inside the cave.
"It looks empty. Are you sure this is the place?" Merrin added from behind.
"Absolutely. I saw it as clear as day in my mind. Whoever lives here has found the perfect place to hide." Cere's voice trailed off while her fingers traced over the cave walls.
"Maybe they sensed us and left. If it was a Jedi, they could be scared of being found," Cal interjected, stopping as an icy chill traveled onto his spine.
"You felt it too?" Cere turned to look at him.
He gave a quick nod, his body turning left and right on the spot, trying to sense where the intrusion was coming from. He felt another, stronger sensation overpowering him, and he grabbed his head with his right hand. A wave of dizziness overtook him, and he steadied himself with his other hand on the cave wall before he could fall.
"Cal! What's wrong?" Cere was by his side instantly, looking into his eyes with deep concern.
"I'm okay; I just felt a bit dizzy for a second. It must be from the burning heat outside," he reassured her, slowly but steadily composing himself. "My head hurts a little."
"Looks like nobody's home. What now, Cere?" Greez asked, preparing to sit down on the ground.
"I wouldn't sit there if I were you," a strange voice echoed from the cave's entrance.
Greez jumped to his feet, startled at the sudden appearance, and he looked at Cere with a puzzled expression on his face. The rest of the crew turned around at the sound of his voice, staring at him with wide eyes. Cere walked past Merrin with a wide smile on her face, staring at the man in front of her with a bewildered look on her face.
"Master Kenobi..." was all she could say, still reeling from the shock of seeing him alive and in front of her.
Cal and Merrin exchanged puzzle looks behind her, and Cal raised his shoulders while he shook his head in confusion. Greez soon joined them, and they all watched as Cere began to speak again.
"How...how is this even possible? I thought you died on Utapau during the purge..." She grew closer to him to make sure he was real.
"Come, let us sit down for the start. I wasn't sure who was reaching back through the force, so I hid my belongings and myself until I saw you," he replied, his eyes wandering for a split second over to Cal. Their eyes met, and he averted his gaze back to Cere while he invited them to take a seat.
"This region is safe for now, but I have sensed the Empire growing closer by the day, Master Junda. I fear this planet might not be as safe as I assumed when I took refuge here."
"Please call me Cere. This is my crew," she pointed towards them. "This one is Greez Dritus, our esteemed pilot. Merrin is-"
"A Nightsister from Dathomir," he completed her sentence.
"You know me?" Merrin interjected, visibly intrigued.
"Not you personally, no. But I have met and fought one of your sisters during the Clone Wars. If you are half as fierce and loyal as she was, then I believe your friends are indeed in good hands."
"And last but not least, this is Cal Kestis. He too is a Jedi like us." Cere continued to speak, her eyes wandering over to Cal, who stood by Merrin's side quietly, lost in his thoughts.
"I knew I felt the presence of more than one. It is a pleasure to meet all of you, but something tells me you're not here for the sights...as charming as they might be. I sense a great deal of sorrow in all of you."
Cere released a deep sigh, turning to face Obi-Wan with a mournful expression. So much had happened in such a short span of time that she didn't even know where to begin. Bode's betrayal, Master Cordova's death, and the destruction of the hidden path haunted them to no end.
"Something terrible has recently happened... Someone we thought we could trust betrayed us all. We were forced to flee our sanctuary, and a dear friend of ours was killed in the process. We have nowhere to hide for now, and the Empire's hunting us down as we speak..."
"Your sanctuary?" Obi-Wan grew closer, the eyebrows on his face furrowing at the mention of a safe place.
"For the past few years I have built a network of safe contacts to help the remaining Jedi go into hiding. We were called the hidden path."
"Say no more. A dear friend of mine was one of your agents. A woman by the name of Tala helped me when I found myself in a bit of trouble a few months ago... She unfortunately died... "His expression suddenly changed, unwilling to speak more of her.
"I'm sorry..." Cere lowered her gaze, "Know that her sacrifice means a lot to all of us. But now that we know you're alive, it makes an enormous difference. You can assist us in rebuilding the Order using your knowledge."
"I'm afraid I cannot help you in your quest. We should not be speaking of such things anymore..."
"But you're general Obi-wan Kenobi. I have seen what you can do in battle. We need-"
"It's just Ben now. I left that life behind for a reason, Cere. I do not want to fight anymore. Not after what I have seen..."
Cere looked at him, confused. This was the great master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, a revered Jedi who managed to bring hope into the hearts of many at different times. His status as a general had been legendary even within her ranks, and she had heard of his remarkable deeds. To see him reduced to a hermit, hiding on a secluded planet, made her heart ache, acknowledging that even the best of their kind had been affected by the purge that destroyed their lives.
"You are welcome to remain here until you regain your strength, but I would not advise you to consider this a permanent residence," he continued to say as he rose to his feet. "I will bring some wood to build a fire. I imagine you lot must be starving."
The cave became eerily quiet as nobody dared to speak. Cere watched as Obi-Wan left, his figure growing small into the distance, and she turned to face her crew with a disappointed look on her face. Greez was on his feet, fidgeting with his braids, while Merrin scanned her environment in great detail. The only one who kept still was Cal. He looked completely lost in thought, his eyes unfocused as he stared at nothing.
"Well, this was a huge waste of time!" Greez broke the silence with a frustrated voice.
"Cal? Are you okay?" Cere set her full attention on him, noting the deep frown etched on his face.
"It's useless...We fought for so long, only to lose everything. Master Kenobi is right; there's no point in trying to fight anymore."
"We should not give up so easily," Merrin added, watching Cal with a determined look. "Perhaps this Jedi can help us find Bode faster. Is there no way of tracking him through the force?"
"We wouldn't even know where to look," Cere said, placing herself next to Cal. "Though Merrin is right, we should not give up so fast, Cal."
"How can you still be so optimistic? After everything that happened?" he looked into her eyes with remorse.
Their conversation was cut short as Obi-Wan entered the cave, holding a small pile of wood in his arms. He threw the pieces on the ground and placed a metal pot on top of the wood.
"Give me a hand with this, please," he addressed Merrin, and she snapped her fingers as the wood began to burn under the pot instantly.
"Thank you," he spoke in a calm voice.
Cal watched the man in front of him with hollow eyes, slowly realizing he had seen him before, when he was a small Padawan.
"You and I, we're me before actually, now that I remember," Obi-Wan looked at Cal with kind eyes.
"I remember speaking with your master at the Jedi temple on Courscant. He had a small, red-haired Padawan hiding behind his legs while we met. That was you, wasn't it?"
It was as if he was reading his mind, and Cal nodded weakly, staring at the former Jedi with an intrigued expression.
"Yeah, that was me. You knew my former master?"
"Jaro Tapal? Why, of course! He was a great general, and his strength and loyalty were unmatched. I was deeply saddened to hear he did not survive, but at least his Padawan managed to escape the clones."
Cal frowned, the memory of the clones betraying him invading his mind for a brief moment. So many years had passed, yet he could still feel his master's cold body in his hands as their escape pod plunged towards Bracca.
"Why did these clones betray you?" Merrin asked, "From what Cal and Cere told me, they were made specifically for the Republic, to help you fight the separatists. Were they not your allies?"
"Nobody knows what happened," Obi-Wan began to speak, his voice trailing off as a stern expression invaded his features.
"Everything seemed fine one second, and then the next they just started…killing us," Cal interjected, looking at Obi-Wan with remorse on his face.
The massacre had been on such a grand scale that the Jedi didn't even have time to retaliate, Cal realized. His eyes wandered over to Cere, who kept quiet, no doubt thinking about her own experience. Cal considered himself one of the lucky ones, managing to escape with both his life and his mental health mostly intact. Sure, he had the burn on his right cheek and the occasional nightmares, reminding him of his own brush with death, but he realized it could not even begin to compare with what Cere had suffered on Nur.
Still, it was sufficient to say that everyone in this cave had their fair share of trauma that lasted for a million lifetimes, so he diverted the subject to a different topic.
"How long have you been here, Master Kenobi?"
"Please, I insist that you all call me Ben. We're past pleasantries. The Order is gone, and I have no need of that rank anymore," the older Jedi said. "The Empire has eyes and ears everywhere."
"Sorry, old habits die hard, I guess," Cal replied with regret.
"To answer your question, I went into hiding as soon as I realized the council was gone. As far as hidden places, this planet is adequate for the time being."
"Those twin suns must be wreaking havoc on a sunny day," Greez added, watching the water boil into the small pot placed in the middle of the flames.
"The heat is the least of my concerns, to be honest." Obi-Wan climbed to his feet, and he placed a small ration packet into the boiling water. The packet grew instantly, and he grabbed it with his fingers before the water spilled and extinguished the fire.
"It must have been hard, to hide out here all alone."
"I can't complain. I at least made it out alive, unlike our more unfortunate brothers and sisters." Obi-Wan gave Cal a gentle smile, the gesture making Cal stare at him in return.
There was something about him that made Cal feel almost safe, even after everything that had happened not long ago. He remembered seeing the Jedi Master only a few times in passing at the Jedi temple on Coruscant, but he never spoke to the man, and he barely remembers anything else of more importance. To him, it felt comforting to know there was another Jedi alive and well, despite the current state of depression and anger residing in his body from Bode's unexpected betrayal.
"This friend of yours, what did he do?" Obi-Wan asked with curiosity, his eyes still locked with Cal's.
"He was working with the Empire. The hidden path got destroyed because of him!" Cal grew angrier, the mere mention of Bode igniting deep hatred inside him. "We never should have trusted him in the first place!"
"All that anger… Be careful not to lose yourself in your feelings." Obi-Wan grew closer, and he placed a comforting hand on Cal's shoulder, the gesture making Cal's whole body tense in response.
"I won't. I just... I never saw it coming. Not from him."
"We never do."
The sentence made Cal stare back at the older Jedi with wide eyes, his lips forming a fine line as he refrained from speaking. Obi-Wan's voice sounded comforting and full of wisdom, and for a short moment, Cal felt a strange sensation traveling inside his body. The pain behind his answer seemed awfully familiar, and he slowly began to relax while Obi-Wan squeezed his shoulder again.
"You should get some rest. I sense a great journey ahead of you, and you will need all of your strength."
"Thank you for allowing us to stay here for a while," Cere interjected.
"It's the least I can do. As far as I can tell, the three of us are all that remains of our kin, for the time being." Obi-Wan replied while his eyes never moved from Cal.
"We will not linger for long. Bode is still out there with the compass, and the sooner we leave, the faster we will find him." Merrin rose from her seat. She set her eyes on the vas desert dunes, the burning heat outside distorting the landscape, while the coolness of the cave helped her to maintain her deep thoughts.