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When the team split, it broke Cal's heart. Seeing his closest friends and family leave to continue their lives without him made him realize he had pushed them beyond their limits. Even Cere, who was adamant about sticking together no matter what, had made her departure rather fast, leaving towards Jedha without second thought. Greez had always been by his side, no matter the arguments they had, and he wished him the best as he left to expand his culinary talents elsewhere.
Merrin's departure affected him the worst, leaving an indescribable empty void inside his chest. She had always yearned to travel the galaxy and discover its wonders, and Cal realized he was only holding her back from her true potential. The Nightsisters of Dathomir were free spirits, and it felt wrong to confine her to the Mantis while she craved more from life than constant battles with the Empire. Only BD-1 remained by his side, while Greez made sure to leave the ship in pristine condition.
"Take care of her like she's your own, kid." Greez joked when he relinquished the ship to Cal, and he responded with a dry laugh, masking his increasing nervousness. The Mantis was now his, inherited like a family heirloom, and he promised himself he would take great care of her.
The ship's engine hummed with a soothing rhythm as Cal stood on the sofa, watching the holomap with a blank stare. Their destination was only a couple of minutes away from arriving, yet he could barely muster any determination to rise from his seat. BD-1 nudged him gently with his metal leg, which finally drew his attention. The droid tilted his head, looking at Cal in confusion.
“I'm okay buddy, just tired. It's been a long day.” Cal spoke in a weak voice, his eyes trailing over to the cockpit as the ship's autopilot emerged from hyperspace. BD-1 jumped from the couch, landing near the holopmap.
Cal followed him quickly as he took a seat at the helm and began their descent. Naboo was quite beautiful this time of the year, as the trees all adorned a beautiful amber palette while the weather seemed to be nothing but blue skies. Cal realized he had never actually been to this world, at least not physically.
The Jedi temple on Coruscant had all this extensive knowledge and holograms that would help one immerse himself in their lecture, but all of that completely paled compared to the original. Seeing this world for the first time made him realize that perhaps Merrin was right in her quest to explore the wonders of the galaxy. Everywhere he went, the Empire's destruction reigned supreme, yet some planets like this one seemed untouched by their evil.
As the ship landed in the spaceport, he couldn't help but notice how busy it was. So many people gathered here, waiting for their loved ones or leaving the planet in their personal ships while he was all alone. No one was waiting for him.
BD-1 released a high-pitched sound of enthusiasm as he jumped to Cal's back, ready to scan everything for his own interest. The disguise he was wearing could barely call itself a disguise; the gray poncho's hoodie hardly covered his face, yet in such a crowded area, it seemed to work just fine. Cal hid his lightsaber under his poncho and left the Mantis in a hurry.
The market district was at the top of his list, having heard from Greez that the prices here only rivaled those on the black market, except without the danger of being scammed. Every merchant here had a permit, while the streets were filled with guards, making sure the peace was well kept. Of course, there was the usual stormtrooper patrol, wandering the streets from time to time and looking incredibly out of place in such a beautiful city, but they failed to recognize Cal as they passed him by. Twice.
Cal's eyes went wide as he marveled at the diverse selection of components laid in front of him, and he traced his finger over a large flight stabilizer. The force guided him as he could spot the history of the object, the memory fading as the unknown pilot made a quick descent towards the ground in his damaged starfighter. A regrettable loss, he pondered, but nevertheless, the component seemed to be in perfect condition.
BD-1 scanned the part with curiosity while the price hovered in small neon letters above it—one hundred credits. A decent price, he thought, but not the part he was looking for as his eyes scanned the areas until they rested upon a medium-small, metallic cylinder.
"There you are!" he declared with relief while he took the stabilizing coil in his hand and studied it carefully for any defects. This particular component had been on his mind ever since Greez offered him the Mantis, and he wanted to have a spare one to avoid getting stranded in space without any help.
"What do you think, BD? Worth the price?" The droid began scanning the metal cylinder as a male voice caught Cal's attention.
"Ah, I see you found the good stuff. I always try to keep that one in stock cause it's very rare. As you can see, I have a lot of unusual things to sell," the man spoke while a kind smile appeared on his face.
Cal looked at the seller—a middle-aged man, not older than forty-five. His hair was long and gray, braided at the back, while his face sported a longer, trimmed beard of the same color. On the left side of his face, he had a green, circular tattoo. Cal tried to decipher the symbol's meaning but failed to recognize the pattern. Maybe this man was part of a gang and is now retired, living his life quietly.
"Five hundred credits is a bit much for my expenses. Maybe we can exchange? I have a lot of spare parts on my ship, and I really need this one. Credits are a bit short, though..." Cal reasoned with the man. The coil was indeed necessary, and if he could somehow convince this man to sell it for a lower price, he would be forever grateful.
"Hmm. I don't know about that. I mean, that one's pretty rare, and I hate to say it, but I have a lot of junk sitting right there in the back as well. I don't need more to pile up," the man replied while he brought a hand to his face and acknowledged Cal's offer.
"Come on, I'm short on one hundred credits, but I bet you have a good eye for something worth that much. I can bring some of them here if you want-"
"Listen, kid," the man stopped him, raising his hand in front of him. "I get you need this, but credits are short on my side too. I can't afford to make a discount for every customer who doesn't have enough credits to buy my merchandise. Come back when you have them all, and I'll give it to you."
Cal looked at him with a pleading look in his eyes. His desperate stare did not seem to impress the merchant, who was already busy cataloging his other merchandise, completely ignoring Cal. Something about this man's face seemed strangely familiar, and Cal stared at him with curiosity, trying to figure out where he had seen him before.
He placed the coil back in his place and stared at it for a moment before he turned to leave. One hundred credits stood between him and his goal, and he had no idea where to get them from. This market was huge, so perhaps he will find another merchant who would be willing to lower the price. Or he could lose the component to another customer if he waited long enough. His stubbornness got the better of him, and he approached the man once again with determination.
"Four hundred credits, and I'll help you sell that damaged flight stabilizer over there. We both know it's not brand new and far from deserving one hundred credits." Cal pointed towards the part with his finger while he eyed the man with confidence.
"I never said my products were brand new. How'd you know? No...wait, let me guess." The man sighed as he approached the stabilizer and ran his gloved finger on its concealed serial number.
"You painted over the manufacturer's original number. A small mistake, only detectable by trained eyes," Cal responded as BD-1 let out a low beep.
"You have a good eye, kid. I really thought nobody would notice...I guess I was wrong." The man smirked while he took the component and placed it in front of Cal.
"I worked as a scrapper on Bracca for years. You did a good job, but next time you should be more careful. I hear the charges for contraband are more expensive than the merchandise itself." Cal lied through his teeth. Greez had taught him a thing or two about gambling, and his bluff had paid off, having known close to nothing about merchandise protocol. His psychometry had also come in handy, and for once, he was glad he could control his ability to gain something useful out of it.
"Thanks for the warning. I can already tell you it won't happen again." The man looked at him with gratitude as he continued, "You know what? I'll give you the coil at four hundred. It seems like you really need it, and I'd rather give it to you than someone who will probably ruin it."
"Really? Thank you so much!" Cal sighed in relief as he shook the man's hand and gave him the credits—all four hundred. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, sure. You just made me richer today, kid, ask all you want." The man replied in a cheerful tone.
"I don't mean to bother you, but I was wondering what that mark on your face meant. Is it a guild thing like mine?" Cal asked, as he rolled up his sleeve, revealing his own tattoo.
"Oh, that's a nice one—clean edges and all. Hypershell, right?" The man grew closer to inspect the ink.
"Yeah. How'd you know?" Cal replied, wondering if he truly knew this man. His face looked so familiar that it was grasping at the back of his mind, trying to resurface. Maybe the man had worked as a scrapper too?
"I know a thing or two about company tattoos. But no, if you're asking, I wasn't a scrapper."
"I feel like I've seen you before; I just don't know where..."
"I was a soldier, kid. You're gonna see a lot of me on most of the planets in this galaxy, and I don't mean that as a figure of speech—I mean literally. I served under the Republic, in the Green Company with General Luminara Unduly. I'm the only one left from my squad..."
"You're a clone trooper?" Cal declared in shock as he took a cautious step backward, staring at the man in front of him with wide eyes. It all made sense now, and he reached quietly for the lightsaber hidden under his poncho in case the man recognized him. It had been years since he had interacted with a clone, and the memory of his deceased former master flashed inside his mind.
He needed to excuse himself and leave fast before the man started asking questions back. He had foolishly revealed his presence on Bracca, and he prayed that this clone trooper was less informed about the young fugitive Jedi that escaped from that planet a year ago and disappeared without a trace.
"Correction—I was a clone trooper. The Emperor decommissioned our squad and replaced us with those empty headed stormtroopers as soon as our general was captured and terminated." The man scoffed, his frustration visible in his eyes.
So the rumors were indeed true; Master Luminara was dead. What little hope he had of her being alive after being captured by the Empire was snuffed out in seconds while he mourned the death of another Jedi Master. Cal let out a deep breath as he kept quiet, and he tried to divert the conversation away from the Jedi.
"I'm sorry to hear that. You been working here on Naboo for a long time?"
"Only for three years. It's tough out there for my kind, but the people are nice enough here, and the judgmental stares subside with time."
"I thought the Empire revered you as veterans after the purge. What happened?" Cal asked with genuine curiosity, failing to see how the clone troopers that secured the fall of the Republic would be seen by the general public with judgment.
"Not everyone agrees with what we did. It may seem like the Empire reigns supreme, but there are still a few worlds that see us as traitors. For what we did to the Jedi..." the man replied with a hint of regret in his voice.
Why did the clones betray them in the first place? Cal pondered as he stared at the man with conflicted feelings. Seeing the man's face brought back unpleasant memories from the purge but also a few decent ones from before. Master Jaro Tapal and his regiment of clones had become Cal's family after he was taken, and he trusted them without question as they marched into battle, always having each other's backs. A trust that was returned with the fall of his entire Order and the almost extinction of his kind.
Cal wanted to respond, to say something back, but found himself speechless. So he excused himself while he took the coil into his slightly trembling hands and waved the man goodbye. The man waved back at him and resumed his work, as if nothing had happened. Perhaps it was better this way, Cal thought as he wandered the streets of the market, praying again that the man did not recognize him.
Before he knew it, he was back on the Mantis, and he set the stabilizing coil into a box at the top of the shelf in the engine room. He set the lightsaber on the working bench, and he blankly stared at it until BD-1 chirped and drew his attention.
"A clone trooper in the flesh, BD. We were lucky we made it back in one piece. Got to be more careful next time." Cal spoke as he continued to stare at the hilt of his saber.
BD-1 released another high-pitched chirp, and Cal let out a deep sigh, feeling the tense muscles on his back relax somewhat.
"I know he was nice, BD. They were all nice before...look, we can't trust him or anyone else for the matter." Cal replied while he rubbed a hand on his weary eyes.
BD-1 gave a small nod as he grew closer to Cal, and the young Jedi gave him a kind smile in return.
"We need to take care of each other, BD. We're all that's left of our team." Cal spoke in a worried voice as he took BD-1 and carried him over to the mattress. "Come on, let's get some sleep. It's getting late."
The small droid complied as Cal lay on his side while BD-1 nested near his chest and assumed a resting position. His mechanism whirred slightly while Cal stood still, staring at the opposite wall. Never in a million years did he expect to find a clone trooper on Naboo, of all places, and once again he was reminded of the harsh reality he currently lived in. Everywhere he went, pieces of his past would resurface, bringing bad memories with them. The man had indeed been nice and even gave him the piece at a lower price, but Cal wondered how he would have reacted had he revealed himself as a Jedi. The clone troopers had been ruthless slaughtering his Jedi brothers and sisters, yet he had a strange feeling this one was different than the others.
The remorse in his voice made it seem like he truly regretted what he did, but it was a risk Cal could not afford to take. Perhaps when the Empire is reduced to nothing but a sour memory, he will return to this place and seek out the man, to talk to him and finally understand what truly happened. But as of now, he would try to keep his distance as much as possible, and he promised himself that he would never forget that face ever again.