Star Wars: Imagines/One-Shots

{Cal Kestis} Friends

     When Cere Junda had come to you years ago about joining her crew aboard the Manits, you had been more than skeptical, but with the Empire growing stronger each day, your work with kyber research was soon to be noticed. Taking it as an opportunity to escape a life of slavery to the Empire's machine, you took the job and steadily began to let your walls come down. Cere and her counterpart, a humorous Latero named Greez, began to become closer than strangers brought together against a common enemy. You became like a family.

     Cere had an obsession for all things Jedi-related. Greez did his best to help support her. You, however, held a hidden fear for all things Jedi. For it was the Jedi who had abandoned your home plant and let it fall into the Empire's hand. Slowly, you were starting to overcome the fear, but the new kid you had picked up from Bracca seemed to bring that trauma back to the surface.

At first, you tried to avoid him, but with a ship as small as the Mantis, there wasn't many places to hide, especially since the kid had to share a room with you. He had his side, and you had yours, but it made it impossible for you to completely ignore the red-haired Jedi that was now a part of the crew.

The boy wanted nothing more than to be friendly, but every time he tried, you shot him down faster than a single starfighter against a Star Destroyer. This time, however, the young Jedi had a plan.

     "____, I want you to accompany Cal on Illum," Cere said as she began to tinker with the comms in the cockpit.

     Immediately, you protested, "This is a Jedi specific mission. Why would I need to go with him."

     Cal was slightly hurt by your instant dismissal, but he hadn't expected anything different from you. Why can't she realize all I want is to be her friend? She's all I can think about. I want to know her, but she won't have me.

     Cere raised an eyebrow, "I thought you'd be excited for this mission, ____." The former Jedi looked between the two of you, "That cave is the key to the mystery of the kyber crystal."

     Your eyes brightened at the mention of the kyber crystal. Cal smiled at how you radiated your excitement, yet managed to contain it from any normal individual. Lucky for me I'm no normal individual.

     You sighed, "Alright. Let's go Kestis."

    Together, you made it to the entrance, looking around at the clearly abandoned cave. Cal was the first to speak, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

     He was almost shocked when you reply, "It is." You run a hand across the frozen entryway, "There's something behind this ice." Cal looked at you quizzically, "It...it's calling me."

     The sudden movement of Cal from above you caused you to jump back. However, your attention went back to the melting ice and the new entryway the the light created. "Cal?"

He dropped down to your side, "You can hear it to?"

You nodded, "That's how I became such a successful researcher. The crystals, they would speak to me, through their unique songs."

Cal laughed, "You and I might not be as different as you'd like to think then."

"What's that supposed to mean?" You asked as the both of you enter the cave.

The red-head stopped dead in his tracks, "You're like me, a Force-user."

You shook your head in disbelief, "No, that's not possible. My family were ordinary people with ordinary lives. The Force doesn't run in my family."

He laughed again, "It's commonly thought that the Force runs in a family, but it doesn't. Each individual has it, I believe it's up to the individual's perceptiveness of it. You, like me, are able to manipulate it. That's why I can do what most others cannot."

Refusing to acknowledge truth, you tuned him out, "Let's just find this crystal and leave."

"____, don't do this again. Please."

"Do what?" You whipped around.

     "Where you push me out. ____, I have been nothing but friendly to you, but each time you reject it. Why?" You could hear the hurt in his voice.

     You rolled your eyes and began to walk off, but he grabbed your arm, "Tell me, please."

     Reluctantly, you looked at him, "The Jedi abandoned my home planet during the Clone Wars. There were no relief missions, no aid from the Republic, and definitely no Jedi Knights to help free my people. We were slaves, digging up kyber crystals for the Separatist Alliance. Then, it all fell. The Empire came in, and we thought we were free, but we were wrong. We were enslaved once again. Since then, I never trusted the Jedi or believed the heroic tales I was often told about them, until I met you. You have proven many times over how trustworthy you are, but I just can't seem to believe it. I keep my walls up to prevent myself from getting hurt anymore." You looked from him to the icy floor, "For what it's worth, I am sorry."

     He placed a hand on your shoulder, "I get it. There's no need to apologize. We all build walls in our life. I just don't want there to be one between me and you. Friends?"

     You gave him a smile, "Friends."

author's note:
I just love how these ideas pop in my head right before bed, and I'll spend all night working on them because I know I'll lose my train of thought if i don't write it down. Apparently, my brain doesn't think I need sleep. Maybe it'll learn when I crash later today lol.
May the Force be with you!
- Sarah