To Be An Inquisitor

Chapter 1: Betrayal

*Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars.*

As Cal slashed his lightsaber through the Holocron, he felt the wave of anger wash over him; Cere was highly displeased, her nostrils flaring with rage and contempt.

"What have you done?!" she screamed, slapping him.

"I did what I thought best," Cal said, rubbing his cheek. "I had a vision in the Vault; if we continued down that path, those children would have suffered. We would have been found!"

"You were alone in that vision," Cere sneered. "You didn't have my guidance; you were the only one teaching those children."

"I get it now," Cal said, realizing what she'd wanted all along. "You wanted an army, a legion of Force sensitive soldiers at your command. You didn't want to bring back the Jedi Order; you only cared about yourself."

"You're right, Cal," Cere gave an evil smile. "The Jedi are over; they will never return. But an army of Force sensitives to fight the Empire... you could have joined me, Cal. But no, you had to take away my only hope, and for that, you will suffer."

She pushed him to the floor, knocking his head against the cold, hard steel. Everything went completely black.

. . . . .

When Cal awoke again, he found himself in the mud of Bogano, his lightsaber beside him. As he sat up, he saw Cere standing in the Mantis' entrance, her look of contempt frozen on her face.

"Good luck, Cal," she yelled. "You'll need it."

The doorway closed, and the Mantis rose above the ground, jumping to hyperspace shortly thereafter. Cal fell to his knees, holding his lightsaber in his hands. Angered, he snapped it in two, tossing away the half that had been constructed from Cere's lightsaber. 

. . . . .

That night, Cal sat alone in the Vault with a small fire beside him, hoping that someone would find him, though he knew it was hopeless. Cere had taken all communication equipment away from Cordova's lodgings, preventing him from contacting anyone to get him of this mudball. Not even BD-1 remained.

"Why?!" he screamed, his voice echoing off of the Vault's walls. "Why did you betray me, Cere?!"

Hate radiated from his heart, poisoning the earth around him. Plants withered and insects died as he let the Dark Side take over for a brief moment. 

"Because that is what she does, Cal," a voice said behind him.

Cal whirled around to see Trilla standing before him. She approached him carefully, watching to make sure he didn't attack her. But he didn't; Cal was too surprised to even think about doing so.

"Trilla? You're alive?" Cal said, remembering when Vader had slashed her across her back.

"Yes. Lord Vader was kind enough to only injure me and not kill me," Trilla said softly, grimacing slightly as she gripped her shoulder. "I was sent to find you, or at least try to find you. I figured you'd be here."

"What do you want, Trilla?" Cal growled angrily.

"I want to help you, Cal," Trilla said in a whisper. "You see, I desire revenge, too. She left me again, didn't even bother to see if I was still alive. If she truly cared, Cere would have held out every hope that I had survived Vader's strike. But she didn't.

"I want to help you, Cal," she said again, kneeling next to him. "But you must join me. You must join the Inquisitors. Do that, and I can give you everything. All you have to do is say yes."

Trilla wrapped her arms around him, breathing in his ear. Cal began to cry, sobbing into her shoulder. He smelled like muck, but she held him close anyway.

"Well, Cal, what do you say?" she asked. "Will you join me?"

"Yes, Trilla, I will," Cal whimpered, sinking into her arms as she used the Force to put him to sleep. Dousing the fire, Trilla smiled as she collected Cal's lightsaber, carrying him our out of the Vault. He was finally hers.