Ascension - Jedi: Fallen Order (Fanfic)

Chapter 20: Repercussions (Part 1)

Cal P.O.V

"Cal, mind if I borrow you for a time?" 

Cal turned away from a conversation he was having with Merrin, General Khosuh coming up behind him.

"Yeah, sure."

Merrin took that has a notice to leave, and walked away back toward the base. General Khosuh gestured for Cal to follow, and they ventured until they were in a quiet spot under a bundle of trees.

Cal rested his hands on his hips, looking around before asking his question. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I know this may be a repeated question, but my wariness and curiosity still stand with your friend."

"Y/n?"

"Yes. What more can you tell me? Am I too bold to ask how they...turned? Did you know them very well?"

Cal gave a small nod. "We grew up together under out Master. They were talented, and seemed to excel a lot faster than me in some ways. Master Topol liked us equally, even though sometimes it seemed he favored them more, but he treated us the same. After the purge, I never saw them again up until several months ago. They seemed to be struggling with the force and their purpose ever since. I could never get Y/n to talk about anything Jedi related, but job conversations were open for discussion."

"What did Y/n do?"

"Worked for the empire transporting imperial ship parts, Y/n harbored their mechanics and transporting skills from a friend of theirs. After we'd had an argument, that's who they'd gone to see on Lotho-Minor."

 Khosuh sighed, raising an eyebrow. "Lotho-Minor? I have a brother there. He was supposed to meet us here just last month, but I haven't seen or heard from him for a few years now. Although, Kohan was never one for punctuality."

Cal looked curiously up at the tall feline. "Kohan?"

"You know him?" Khosuh asked, genuinely surprised.

"No. We went looking for Y/n, asking around the nearby houses after we found their destroyed ship. They mentioned that Y/n had been seen with him before some Empire ships showed up. Apparently 'Tarylin' had been a close working partner with Kohan for a few years after the purge. He often talked about her to his friends. They figured he had been taken too, after not having seen him for nearly a week later." Cal watched the look of disbelief and mortification appear on Khosuh's face as he spoke. "Is everything okay?"

Khosuh turned away from him. "It's fine." The feline strode away at a quick pace. Cal went to follow, but was stopped by Cere who wanted to ask him a favor. 

Y/N P.O.V

I was busy fixing my light-saber, which Cal had insisted had not been damaged, but there were several nicks and a dent in the metal. Satisfied with the adjustments, I went outside and pressed the button, watching as the dangerous light elongate from the sheath, burning and humming away. Giving it several swings, I smirk appeared on my face. It felt normal to have it in my possession once more to be used by my hand. 

"Y/n."

Turning, I saw Khosuh approach whilst noticing right away the DL-18 blaster in his grip. "Can I help you, General?" I asked whilst keeping my light-saber drawn.

The feline's voice sounded broken and frustrated. "I spoke with Cal. It seems you've been keeping things from me."

"What things? Why would you ever assume I'd just open myself up to a rebel?" It was heavily uncharacteristic to see the feline so open with his emotions, and I wondered why he would allow himself to be seen that way. 

Khosuh's eyes narrowed. "And Kohan? What about him. You knew as soon as you saw his message didn't you. Where is he?"

Oh, so it was this now. I'd been afraid of when that day would come, not necessarily fear of Khosuh, but of the situation itself. Instead of saying it outright, I let him choose.

"What is the answer you want to hear?" I asked, adjusting the grip on my light-saber. 

"What happened to him? Where is he? I demand to know." The despair for the revealed answer was almost palpable.

I leaned back on one foot. "Long dead." Deflecting his blaster's bullet, it hit a nearby tree instead of my head. "He was tortured for information about other Jedi. I was the only one he knew, so there wasn't really much point in trying to get any more information out of him than that." 

I plainly explained this with a stiff face, it only seemed to anger him. "After I was made an inquisitor, I was generous in the idea of letting him go, knowing he was too old to really be a threat to anyone else. The Eleventh brother didn't agree, so I killed Kohan myself as an act of mercy."

Having been prepared for it I leaped back as I swung my light-saber, deflecting the flurry of bullets the best I could. One hit its mark, skimming along my side. In defense, I used the forced and shoved him away from me. Khosuh hit the ground several yards away prone on his back.

Khosuh nimbly got back up on his feet, holding the elbow on his shooting arm. "You're a fucking monster! How could you do that to him? That isn't mercy, its murder."

"Better dead than tortured for the rest of his life," I shot back, holding my side, which was now pulsing with a steady burning sensation.

"He raised you!"

"THEN THAT WAS HIS MISTAKE!" I shouted.