Star Wars - The Gray Jedi - Chapter 9 - BD-1.

[Chapter Size: 1900 Words.]
Third Person POV
Bracca.
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Among the insects and other creatures roaming the plains of Bogano, Cal continued his journey. The Mantis was now just a small dot on the horizon after an hour of walking.

Cal wasn’t bothered by the walk itself, but he felt his body was truly out of shape—his muscles, at least. He had never been much of a fighter before, and the battle against dozens of Stormtroopers had left him with aches and even cramps he hadn't shown after the fight. That was why he had taken a long sleep to finally rest.

Even though he had memories that weren’t his own, he knew he still needed to train and develop his own muscle memory and physical conditioning, so he planned to start as soon as he could.

Cal continued on his path, passing through cliffs and canyons, sometimes jumping or choosing routes based on which seemed easiest given his current abilities.

The wildlife—like frogs and other strange creatures—watched him from a distance, but none approached aggressively.

“I see there are a lot of you around here…” Cal murmured as he observed them. “And I’m sure some of you won’t be friendly. If I’m not mistaken, there are frogs here the size of elephants... Let’s avoid those for now.” He sighed and kept moving.

He approached another cliff but felt something wrong with the ground beneath him. Quickly stepping back, he muttered, “This is going to collapse soon…” Though he noted the danger, it was still the easiest path. He took a few steps back before running forward. Even as the ground began to slide under his weight, he pushed ahead, leaping to the other side. He landed in a roll but made it safely across.

As he stood, he heard the sound of rocks crashing behind him. Turning, he saw that part of the cliff had given way, tumbling down with a thunderous noise as trees fell below and frightened animals scattered.

Cal let it go and noticed a metallic, electronic point nearby. He approached the edge of the plain to inspect it carefully.

“A droid is needed to access this… Well, that won’t be an issue once I find one…” he muttered, wondering whether it had been created by the Zeffos or other visitors to the planet. He couldn’t find the answer.

Leaving the equipment behind, he moved on, navigating through various structures and avoiding wildlife. The animals he encountered fled at the sight of him.

After a few hours of walking under the two suns—which climbed higher and higher in the sky—he ate some of the rations he’d brought. By the time the suns began to descend, marking the end of the day, Cal reached a cliff and had to enter one of the caves nearby.

“I don’t think there are any other paths close by…” he murmured, gazing at the horizon filled with canyons and fissures. If he wanted to find another route, he’d have to backtrack significantly, which was out of the question. Without thinking too much, he leapt into the cave, hoping it would lead to the other side.

The place was full of moss, and small lava streams trickled along the walls. Cal moved cautiously, prepared to ignite his lightsaber at any moment.

He continued onward, the light of the suns still partially illuminating the cave, until he reached a larger chamber. It wasn’t much brighter than the narrow corridors, and the Force sharpened his instincts, warning him that he was no longer safe. He could feel several life forms watching him with aggression.

His lightsaber flew from his belt into his hand with a flick of the Force, igniting as it cast a glow across the cavern. Dozens of eyes appeared in the darkness.

Cal quickly assumed a basic combat stance, gripping the saber with both hands held high.

The next moment, large frogs the size of big dogs leapt toward him. Cal swung his blade at the first, slicing it clean in half, then spun to strike another. Stepping back, he dodged four others lunging at him. With a swift kick off the ground, he advanced, spinning his saber to kill two more. He evaded one attack and struck the next.

The cave lit up with the rapid spinning of Cal's lightsaber, cutting down more and more creatures that tried to reach him. It seemed that the creatures, who apparently used this place as a resting ground, were all surging forward to attack the intruder.

After some time, Cal found himself cutting down the last of them. By then, he had slain over 18 creatures with ease, though he had spent more time dodging than attacking. He knew he wasn’t prepared for such encounters and could feel how disastrous it would have been to get surrounded by those creatures.

He didn’t deactivate his lightsaber, using its glow to light his way through the darkened parts of the cave. After walking for a while, he finally emerged into another lower plain. By now, the Mantis was entirely out of sight, but the towering Zeffo Vault still loomed in the distance, guiding his path. He pressed onward.

As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, Cal decided to find a place to rest for the night. He selected a high spot that would allow him to see any approaching threats. What he didn’t anticipate, however, was the possibility of encountering some massive nocturnal flying creature. While he was familiar with some of the planet’s wildlife, he was certain there were many creatures the planet’s evolved ecosystem might still surprise him with.

He eventually reached the spot he had chosen, but as soon as he set foot there, the Force alerted him to danger. Acting purely on instinct, he flipped backward just as a black goat-like creature charged past, its head hitting nothing but air.

Cal landed gracefully and watched as the creature stopped, realizing it had missed its target, then turned to charge at him again.

“You want to fight me… I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Cal muttered as the animal charged once more.

As the creature approached, Cal extended a hand, trying to stop it. The goat immediately felt an invisible weight pressing against it, and Cal managed to halt its advance just as it got close. Lifting his hand, he used the Force to raise the struggling creature off the ground.

Cal directed it toward the edge of the plateau. Before the animal could react, it was flung over the precipice, letting out a startled sound as it fell. Cal watched impassively, shrugging. He knew he hadn’t killed it—there was a lower ledge about ten meters down. At least the goat wouldn’t bother him again. Deciding against killing it, he had simply opted to remove the threat.

With the area now secure, Cal set up a device given to him by Cere aboard the Mantis. Pressing a button, the equipment rapidly inflated, drawing in air until it formed a portable air mattress compact enough to fit in his pocket. He gathered some branches and used another device to light a small campfire. After eating more rations, he finally settled down to sleep. For the rest of the night, nothing disturbed him in that plain, as the Force didn’t warn him of any danger.

In the morning, Cal resumed his journey through the canyons. He faced more challenging sections of the cliffs and had connectivity issues while entering additional caves. Along the way, he encountered more frogs and even some goats, having to fight most of them.

Cal continued his trek through the midmorning, maintaining the same pace as the previous day, until something unusual caught his attention.

Upon entering one of the caves, he noticed the absence of the frogs that typically inhabited the area. Instead, he felt a strong manifestation of the Force—a powerful presence emanating from the center of the cave, strong enough to drive away all other creatures.

“This seems interesting. Maybe I should meditate,” Cal concluded, heading toward the core of the feeling that had drawn his attention. He sat down, attempting to connect through meditation, believing it might help deepen his bond with the Force and better control his often unpredictable inner powers.

His vision soon darkened, and he no longer felt as though he was on Bogano. It was as if he had been transported elsewhere, far beyond the planet. The scene around him shifted dramatically, and a shiver ran down his spine as he heard a strong, rhythmic breathing.

Cal froze, recognizing the sound immediately—Darth Vader.

'What’s happening? This shouldn’t be possible. Has he already found me?' thought Cal, alarmed, as he observed Darth Vader. The dark-masked figure strode past him, the two of them standing in a dimly lit room with stark white lights. Vader walked until he was directly in front of Cal before turning to face him. Cal couldn’t even reach for his lightsaber, his body frozen in place.

"You don’t kill everyone who opposes you..." Vader said, his deep, imposing voice echoing like a warning. "You must destroy all who stand in your way. Mercy is for the weak." His tone carried the weight of a lesson being taught.

‘Wait... This isn’t real!’ Cal concluded quickly. ‘These are Starkiller’s memories from his training with Darth Vader.’ Yet, the figure of Vader felt as though it were addressing him directly.

Cal’s thoughts spiraled as he watched Vader circle him, studying him like a prospective apprentice. "The Jedi are mere relics of a failed order. You are the future," Vader declared with conviction.

As those words were spoken, a door opened, and a large, muscular man emerged like a shadow. He walked to Vader’s side, and Cal could finally see him. Recognition struck immediately, and an overwhelming surge of emotions filled Cal—more intense even than when he had first seen Vader.

It was his master, Jaro Tapal.

"Remember, Cal. Trust in the Force, and it will guide you," Jaro said with unwavering confidence. Darth Vader remained silent as the vision began to fade.

Everything slowly returned to normal, and Cal found himself breathing heavily, trying to reorient himself in Bogano. "This is so strange. A Sith Lord and a Jedi Master both speaking to me... What a mess..." he muttered with his eyes still closed.

"Beep?"

A robotic sound suddenly interrupted his thoughts, causing Cal’s eyes to snap open. Looking down, he saw a small droid staring up at him, tilting its head as if studying him.

"Beep-be-be-beep!"

"You’re… BD-1?" Cal murmured, a small smile naturally spreading across his face as he recognized the droid that had found him on its own in the middle of the cave.

"Boo-beep!"

"I’m fine. I’m heading to the Zeffo Vault in search of someone," Cal replied, trying to establish his first connection with the little droid.

"Beep?"

"You too, BD-1." Cal confirmed, his smile widening. "But… the other person I need to find in the vault… Can you help me get there?" he asked.

"Beep! Be-beep!" The droid exclaimed excitedly, hopping on its mechanical legs and moving much faster than an R2-D2 model.

"That’s great! Let’s go, then," Cal said, his grin still lingering.

The droid walked ahead of him for a moment but soon returned, climbing up Cal’s legs, scaling his clothes, and settling comfortably on his shoulder.

Now, Cal was no longer alone. He had a mechanical companion for the journey that was just beginning on this planet and would take him as far as his beating heart could carry him.