Star Wars - The Gray Jedi - Chapter 10 - Eno Cordova.

[Chapter Size: 2100 Words.]
Third Person POV
Bracca.
...

...

Cal was standing in front of a hole, sighing. BD-1 emitted a sound, looking between the hole and Cal.
"It seems I have no choice. We'll have to face it. Just hold on tight to me while I handle the rest, alright?" Cal said, narrowing his eyes as he thought of a plan to deal with the situation for the first time. The droid nodded with a sound.
"Boo-Beep!"

The next moment, Cal simply threw himself into the hole, falling into an open area bathed in sunlight. As soon as he touched the ground, he quickly caught the attention of a creature devouring a dead animal with its enormous tongue. It was one of the giant frogs from the area, as Cal would classify them, though its name was Oggdo Bogdo—much stronger than the Oggdos he had encountered before.

Quickly, Cal drew his lightsaber, which emitted its characteristic hum, while the frog narrowed its eyes at him, showing aggression for having its territory invaded.

In the next instant, the monster launched its tongue, stretching it directly toward Cal. He swiftly dodged to the side. The tongue missed him, but as it retracted back into the frog's mouth, it lashed out again, trying to grab him without getting closer—a mistake.

This time, Cal not only dodged but also spun his saber, slicing the tongue as he moved out of reach.
"OHHH!!!" The creature let out a pained groan as blood dripped from the wound, leaving part of the tongue hanging out.
"Beep!" BD-1 seemed excited.

As soon as the tongue returned to the creature’s mouth, it didn’t attack immediately but closed its mouth to stem the bleeding. The next instant, the frog lunged directly at Cal with its massive body.

Cal was forced to deliver a lateral slash to the creature’s mouth as it tried to grab him, employing the same strategy of retreating after an attack. He then flipped backward to evade. The frog groaned in pain, collapsing momentarily but quickly recovering and charging again with even greater fury due to its injuries.

This time, Cal concentrated energy in his hand, releasing a burst of lightning at the creature. It fell backward in pain, rolling and rendered immobile, stunned by the electric shock.
"Well, I can’t say this was harder than I expected," Cal said, initially believing the fight would be more challenging. However, defeating the monster had proven easier than anticipated.

While the frog groaned, dying slowly, Cal used the Force to move some rocks from the area’s ceiling. He dropped them directly onto the monster, crushing it completely for a quick death.
"Beep-beep," BD-1 emitted a sound.
"That’s normal. After all, that thing wanted to kill me. I had to defend myself," Cal replied.
"Beep-beep-beep," BD-1 retorted.
"I imagine, buddy. Being alone here, you must’ve dealt with these creatures on your own, having to hide," Cal said as BD-1 explained, through sounds, how it avoided becoming scrap in the acidic stomachs of those frogs.
"I don’t think they’d enjoy eating metal—no offense," Cal commented, shrugging as they continued walking.
"Beep-beep," BD-1 replied, with a slightly aggressive tone.
"Calm down, I didn’t mean to offend you. Let’s just keep going," Cal said.

They moved across the plains and through the canyons.

When night fell for the second time, Cal set up camp with BD-1 by his side. The two talked a little as Cal tried to learn more about him.
"So, you don’t remember anything?" Cal murmured.
"Beep-beep," BD-1 replied, explaining how he functioned.
"I see... it seems your memories were erased," Cal said, fully aware that Master Cordova had removed them on purpose.

But Cal wondered where Cordova was now. After all, BD-1’s master hadn’t been killed, but Cal didn’t understand why he had left the droid hidden in this place and gone into hiding. Cal didn’t know many details about it because he had never asked, but Cordova was probably conducting his research without getting involved in the conflict.

Either way, Cal knew he would find answers in the future and talk to Cordova when possible. For now, BD-1 belonged to him and would be his loyal companion from this day forward.

The journey continued the next day, with Cal getting closer and closer. By early afternoon, the vault was in front of him. He stood before a mechanical device that seemed to connect to the other side of a vast valley, far too large to cross, with no alternate path to reach the vault.

He looked at BD-1. "Can you handle this?" Cal asked, knowing he needed a droid to unlock the mechanism.
"Beep-beep," BD-1 replied as he approached the iron rods connected to a key. The droid began turning it, and in the next moment, a rope shot across to the other side of the chasm.
"Let’s go," Cal said as BD-1 returned to his shoulder.

Using a device, he hooked onto the rope and began racing across the chasm at high speed. Looking down, he could see a dense swamp over 50 meters below, teeming with Oggdo Bogdos and Oggdos.

It didn’t take long for him to cross with his momentum. Reaching the other side, he stowed the device and continued along the final plateau, navigating a few more obstacles before finally arriving at the space where the Zeffo vault was located. The two towers had an opening in the middle, seemingly incomplete.

As Cal and BD-1 approached, a cry from an animal high in the sky caught their attention. Cal looked up but couldn’t see anything. He decided to ignore it and move forward.

Soon, he came across another place with a Force manifestation. "I’ll ask you to wait for me for a bit, alright?" Cal murmured as he approached the manifestation.
"Beep!"

He knelt down and closed his eyes, experiencing visions.
"Embrace the dark side... Use your anger!"
"You will be a great Jedi, Cal."

Finally, after five minutes, Cal emerged from the visions, while BD-1 simply watched him, emitting soft sounds.
"Let’s go, BD," Cal said as he got up, leaving behind those confusing lessons.
"Beep-beep," BD-1 responded.

There was a small entrance in the middle of the area, which at first glance appeared to lead nowhere. But Cal knew there was more than met the eye. Sensing the Force there, he stepped inside.

His vision began to darken as he entered and shifted his body sideways to navigate the narrow passage. Eventually, he found himself inside a massive chamber, accompanied by his droid.
"Well, we made it. Now, do your thing," Cal said casually.

He walked forward, his boots tapping against the damp floor, until he reached the center, where a small block stood. BD-1 began scanning the area.

Suddenly, a man appeared as a hologram, projected by BD-1.
"Well done, whoever you are," the hologram began as Cal watched calmly. The transmission continued. "You have passed the test I left here."

"I am Eno Cordova," the hologram introduced himself. He went on to explain that Cal now had access to the chamber and the recording, one of many encrypted in the droid.

"BD-1 was always the key. But I can’t just take the holocron without going through the places it directs me..." Cal murmured softly, glancing at the droid before returning his attention to the hologram.

The hologram continued, describing the tests left for whoever found BD-1. "This place should only be accessed by those who follow the path of the Force and overcome its challenges.

"Now, you must seek out the hidden tombs of the Three Sages and unravel the mysteries of the Force, as the Zeffos once did. Go to the Zeffo homeland. There, you will find peace in the eye of the storm. Good luck, Jedi. May the Force be with you."

The recording ended, and Cal sighed. "It’s a shame I’m not a Jedi, Master Cordova," he murmured, watching the hologram fade.

He looked at BD-1, who was also analyzing him after the transmission, emitting robotic sounds.
"You’re funny, you know that?" Cal remarked, noticing how droids could seem so companionable and almost human in their interactions.
"BEEP!" BD-1 protested that it was obvious, and Cal continued onward.

"It seems you're the one I was meant to find. Maybe I'm not the person your old owner expected, but my purpose is to rid the galaxy of the evil that plagues it. Which makes me wonder... do you want to come with me?" he asked, watching the droid's response as his feet splashed against the water on the floor.

The droid immediately erupted in animated sounds. "Beep-beep-beep!" it exclaimed, leaning toward him, seemingly placing its trust in Cal despite the weight of his words.

Cal smiled. "Good, then let's go. After all, we need to head to the Zeffo planet now," he said, moving forward while BD-1 quickly followed, climbing onto his shoulder as they exited the chamber.

Once again, Cal found himself outside, taking in the landscape of Bogano. Leaving it all behind, they continued forward, walking to the edge of the plateau. There was still some time before sunset, so Cal hooked his device onto the rope and began running to cross the swamp-filled valley below.

"OHHH!!!" Everything seemed calm as Cal clung to the rope until a sound from the sky broke the stillness. Cal quickly glanced to the side and saw a massive, strange bird with multiple eyes diving straight toward him.

"What now?" he muttered, frowning, his irritation evident. There was no other choice but to keep holding onto the device as the bird approached.

When the creature closed in, with no room to flee or dodge, it revealed its claws, reaching for Cal as if he were prey. Still suspended by the rope, Cal tried using the Force to stop it, but the bird was too large for him to hold back. Its claws lashed out, and Cal narrowly avoided the first attack.

But the bird didn’t relent, swiping a second time. Cal dodged again and even unleashed a burst of lightning, making the bird screech in pain and retreat briefly. However, in the chaos, he was forced to let go of the device to save his hand from the enormous claws.

Now falling freely, Cal could only mutter one word: "Damn!" He braced himself for impact, concentrating the Force to soften his fall and prevent serious injury as he plummeted over 50 meters into the swamp below.

"BEEP!" Even BD-1 sounded terrified.

The impact was harsh, but the swampy, slimy ground cushioned his landing enough to save him from severe harm. Still, Cal couldn’t help groaning in pain as he quickly forced himself to his feet. Despite the pressure on his back, he had to be ready for another attack. Looking up, he saw the bird circling above, frustrated but showing no signs of swooping down again.

"Beep!!" BD-1 exclaimed, ejecting a small green device that landed near Cal.

"That..." Cal glanced at it with gratitude, recognizing it as a healing syringe BD-1 had provided. He injected it into his shoulder, and the substance quickly circulated through his body, starting to heal him and easing his pain.

But Cal had no time to relax. Just as he was about to catch his breath, a loud noise came from ahead. Turning to face it, he saw an enormous Oggdo Bogdo. Not just one, but two... three, and then another.

Realizing what he was up against, he saw the same type of frog-like creature he had defeated earlier, but now it was back with a small army. Their many eyes fixed on him as if he were easy prey, invading their territory.

"You’ve got to be kidding me," Cal muttered, drawing his lightsaber. The weapon’s iconic hum echoed as its bright blue light illuminated the dim surroundings.

He steeled himself for battle, aware he would need to survive the onslaught, with a somewhat frightened BD-1 perched on his shoulder.