Our Only Hope

Chapter 2: Bogano

"I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire," Anakin said.

"Your new empire," Master Kenobi said incredulously.

"Don't make me kill you."

"Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic, to Democracy!"

"If you're not with me, then you're my enemy."

"Only a Sith deals in absolutes. I will do what I must."

"You will try."

You watch as your Master, someone you love as a father figure, and Anakin, someone you regard as an older brother fight for the control of the future. You world falls apart.

You jump back as a hand touches you, trying to place where you are. "You were both talking in your sleep. Weirdos," Greez says. You scowl at him, thinking that if he had dreams like you did, he would do a lot worse than talk in his sleep. You slowly get down from the bed, wincing as your shoulder and ribs were still sore. You looked at Cal as he rubbed his eyes.

"Nightmare," he stated. It wasn't really a question. You just nodded. "Me too," he said. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really, at least not yet," you said, looking away. You hadn't had such a vivid nightmare in a while. You supposed that using your lightsaber and coming out of hiding might have triggered it. You wondered what would happen when you started using the force again. What terrors would haunt you then?

"We better go see what Cere wants us to do. Hopefully she has a plan," Cal said.

"Yeah, okay" you said slowly. Cal looked at you, worried. You saw that he knew you were off since waking up. You would have to talk to him about home of the things that were going through your head. As your Master said, some things were too hard to deal with alone.

You walked together to the common area, seeing no one. Before you went up to the cockpit to find Cere and Greez, you saw Cal stop, his eyes resting on a guitar. He picked it up, and you saw him close his eyes as he plucked a tune you had never heard.

"That song. I wrote it years ago," said a voice from behind you too. Cal open his eyes, and you both looked up as Cere entered the room. "You touch an object and witness events connected to it, feel its history," she continued.

"It's an...echo in the Force from the object," Cal said.

"That's amazing," you said, and Cere added "Not many Jedi have that skill."

"How would you know that?" You asked in confusion.

"I was once a Jedi, but not anymore," Cere said. You saw the sadness in her eyes, but you were surprised she hadn't revealed this to you earlier, and you felt Cal tense.

"Do I know you?" He asked quietly, and you realized that Cal didn't know anyone who survived.

"No. Who was your Master? I probably knew them," Cere said.

"His name was Jaro Tapal," he said, and you felt anguish in his mind. Wait, you hadn't felt emotion from another person since...you forced yourself to concentrate. You could figure out your slowly repairing force powers later.

"Ah, I did know him. He was a true guardian of the Republic," Cere said.

"He was a hero," Cal said, and you could sense there was a story Cal wasn't going to tell, as he looked away. "Something happened to me during the Purge," he started slowly. "I survived, but my connection to the Force is damaged. When I meditate, and let my guard down, I lose control." Your heart went out to him as he went on. "It's like I'm back in that moment when." He stopped, he couldn't continue.