DEFECTED | cal kestis [1]✔️

vi. how about two out of three?

Finally getting to the Temple, Cal and TN walked through a dark tunnel to access it. TN gripped her staff and stayed close to Cal in case something jumped out at them. They encountered creatures BD-1 identified as "Scazz" and the two hated them. TN's left arm was now wrapped in bandages since one jumped out and attacked her. Cal has a few scratches from them, but he was fine.

"How's your arm?" Cal asked as they walked toward a cyclone up ahead. In the middle was an upright structure, but with rocks and rubble flying around, it seemed impossible to get in.

"I'm fine. Now, do your magic and freeze the storm."

"It's not magic, Stormtrooper."

"I'm not a Stormtrooper, Jedi."

The girl glared at him as he reached his hand out and used the Force to slow the cyclone. He was surprised when he slowed everything. TN grinned, patted his shoulder, and walked toward the enclosed structure. When Cal stepped in, the gates closed up and the floor started to lower itself down. TN panicked and held her electrified staff, her eyes wide.

"Calm down, TN. We're in the temple." He said to her when it came to a stop and the gate opened up again. He walked out of the area and down a rocky path to access the temple.

"Whatever, Jedi. I'm going to stay here and make sure nothing comes in here. Feel free to call for help if you need it."

"I won't need it. See you in a while."

TN watched him leave, a skeptical look on her face as she laid on the ground and twirled her staff above her head. The temple around her felt...off, like something was watching her or waiting for her to make a move. The feeling made her feel sick, but she ignored it and thought of why a Jedi was so obsessed with the Zeffo people. The Empire was obviously interested in this place, but why? Why would Darth Vader be interested?

TN shook her head and stood, twirling her staff and singing an old folk song her foster parents used to sing to her. Conflicted feelings toward her parents surfaced as she sang the song. They were the people who stole her away and made her into something she realized she never wanted to be.

But how could she become something else when the protocols and lifestyles of Stormtroopers were drilled into her brain?

"I guess I'm always going to be a Stormtrooper." TN muttered, a wry smile on her face as she looked at her bitten down nails.

"TN! I need a little help!" Cal's voice came from the communications. He sounded like he was fighting something.

"Wait, say that again. I think I heard you wrong."

"TN!"

"Nah, I think I'll sit here."

"I need your help!"

TN smirked and ran out of the area she was in. She sped past horrible smelling creatures--or plants--and dodged Scazzes trying to attack her. Crashing and loud booms were heard in a separate room. She came to a slide of ice, hesitating to go down, but hearing Cal's panicked voice, she went anyway. TN entered the temple and she followed the loud noises ahead of her.

"TN!"

"I'm close to where you are!"

She ran up a wall and grabbed the ledge above her, pulling herself up and seeing the destruction of walls and a giant being Cal was fighting. It was shooting bolts of electricity from the circular part of its chest and almost hit the redheaded Jedi. Jumping down and sneaking in, TN crept around it and readied her staff. Cal noticed her but did not say anything as he dodged the giant being. The chest piece opened and it readied to shoot electricity at Cal.

"Move, Cal!"

TN jumped down, rolling out of it and throwing her staff like a spear into the chest piece. It went through it, but the giant did not fall or react. Instead, it turned around to face her and used its core to shatter her staff. The girl chuckled nervously as she shrugged.

"How about two out of three?"

In response, the giant shot the electricity at her. TN managed to dodge in time, but she hurt her injured arm and was grazed on her leg by a bolt. Cal stepped forward but he was immediately backhanded by it, his lightsaber flying out of his hand. BD-1 whirred and trilled as he warned TN to move, the girl hearing him and moved out of the way. She saw Cal's lightsaber and ran forward, dodging the being and grabbing it. The being's chest piece opened and she ran at it, igniting the orange lightsaber and stabbed it through the core piece. It fell to its knees, the core falling to the ground and TN slicing its body in half just for good measure.

"Beeop!" TN!

TN turned to face the droid, but noticed Cal was not moving on the ground. She sprinted to him, sliding on her knees when she knelt beside him. His lip was cut and there was a nasty bruise forming on his cheek bone.

"Cal!" She said to him in a panic, shaking his shoulders. He did not respond to her.

"Cal! Oh gods, don't be dead! Not that I care, but I'm not in the mood to hear a lecture about how I'm irresponsible and acting like a Stormtrooper."

She grabbed his face and lightly tapped his cheeks to spark a reaction from him. BD-1 came forward and offered a healing stim to her. TN thanked him before injecting it in Cal's chest. His eyes opened immediately and he started to cough. A relieved grin surfaced on her lips, her gloved hands still resting his face.

"You were worried about me, huh?" He teased immediately when TN quickly retracted her hands. Her face burned red as she stood.

"No! I just...didn't want a lecture from Cere. Did you get what Cordova was talking about?"

She helped Cal stand up as best she could since her arm felt horrible and the graze on her leg stung.

"Yeah. He said to find someone named Tarfful on the planet Kashyyyk. We should find answers there."

"All right then. Let's head back to the Mantis and go to Kashyyyk."