Cal kestis

The Mantis glided serenely through the swirling, deep-blue tunnel of hyperspace. In the main cabin, Cal sat at his workbench, the components of his lightsaber spread out before him. Normally, this routine was meditative for him, but today his mind was as restless as a storm on Kashyyyk.

His gaze kept drifting to the door behind which you were standing. He sensed your presence in power – a bright, warm glow that threw him off balance every time.

A mechanical "Trill-whoop?" snapped him out of his thoughts.

BD-1 jumped onto the metal table and tilted his head so far to the side that he almost fell over. His photoreceptors lit up curiously.

"I'm focused, BD. Honestly," Cal logged, attempting to reinsert a coil, only to drop it immediately. The component rolled clattering across the table.

BD-1 emitted a short, dry "bleep-bop"—its equivalent of a raised eyebrow. Without hesitation, the small droid projected a flickering blue hologram into the air. It was a recording from earlier: Cal standing at the holotable, staring blankly at you for minutes while you explained a map. The hologram even showed Greez having to nudge him twice before he reacted.

Cal felt the heat rising to his face. He buried his face in his hands. "Okay, okay... I know. It's obvious, isn't it?"

BD-1 nodded eagerly and emitted a series of excited beeps. He almost seemed to be laughing.

"It's not that simple, kid," Cal whispered, lowering his hands again and staring at his mechanical palm. "She's... she's everything to me. If I tell her how I feel, and it changes things between us... I can't lose her. Not her too."

The fear in his voice was real. He had lost so much—his master, his home, his order. The thought that the stability you gave him could shatter with one wrong word was more terrifying than any inquisitor.

BD-1's voice trailed off. He tiptoed closer and gently nudged Cal's wrist. Then he played a short audio file. It wasn't an archive, but a recording of your voice from last night, when you thought Cal was already asleep. You had whispered to BD, "Take good care of him, BD. He carries so much on his shoulders... I wish I could take more of it off his shoulders."

Cal held his breath. "Did she really say that?"

BD-1 confirmed it with a proud "Beep-beep!" Then the light on his scanner turned green and he projected another image. It was a snapshot he had secretly taken: you, watching Cal meditate, your gaze full of tenderness and a longing that rivaled Cal's own.

A slow, incredulous smile spread across Cal's face. The burden he had been carrying for weeks seemed to ease a little.

"So you mean... I shouldn't be a coward?" he asked quietly.

BD-1 let out a heroic whistle and energetically shoved Cal towards your cabin door with his small metal body.

Cal stood up, nervously ran his hand through his red hair, and took a deep breath. He looked down at the small droid. "If this goes wrong, I'll tell Greez you found his hidden salt stash." The Pick Me girl named Vara, a young Padawan, overheard everything and became furious.

BD-1 let out a horrified "Whoa!", but Cal just laughed briefly before turning serious. He went to the door, stopped just before it, and whispered:

"Wish me luck, BD."

The door opened with a soft hiss.

The Mantis glided serenely through the swirling, deep-blue tunnel of hyperspace. In the main cabin, Cal sat at his workbench, the components of his lightsaber spread out before him. Normally, this routine was meditative for him, but today his mind was as restless as a storm on Kashyyyk.

His gaze kept drifting to the door behind which you were standing. He sensed your presence in power – a bright, warm glow that threw him off balance every time.

A mechanical "Trill-whoop?" snapped him out of his thoughts.

BD-1 jumped onto the metal table and tilted his head so far to the side that he almost fell over. His photoreceptors lit up curiously.

"I'm focused, BD. Honestly," Cal logged, attempting to reinsert a coil, only to drop it immediately. The component rolled clattering across the table.

BD-1 emitted a short, dry "bleep-bop"—its equivalent of a raised eyebrow. Without hesitation, the small droid projected a flickering blue hologram into the air. It was a recording from earlier: Cal standing at the holotable, staring blankly at you for minutes while you explained a map. The hologram even showed Greez having to nudge him twice before he reacted.

Cal felt the heat rising to his face. He buried his face in his hands. "Okay, okay... I know. It's obvious, isn't it?"

BD-1 nodded eagerly and emitted a series of excited beeps. He almost seemed to be laughing.

"It's not that simple, kid," Cal whispered, lowering his hands again and staring at his mechanical palm. "She's... she's everything to me. If I tell her how I feel, and it changes things between us... I can't lose her. Not her too."

The fear in his voice was real. He had lost so much – his master, his home, his order.