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Cal's POV
"Making it hard to focus you are." Yoda complained with a sigh.

"Oh I'm sorry!" I shouted sarcastically in-between my struggled breathing as I used the force to keep Lilith's lightsaber from cutting me in half - vertically, "I'll just tell her to give us a minute!" I yelled in annoyance.

Yoda breathed out a long sigh, doing his best to avoid looking at his daughters condition as he went back to his task of healing Anakin - which is taking so much longer than it should. But then again, I could feel that he was on the brink of death, and Master Yoda isn't a hundred percent right now - even with my help. So there's no telling how long this can take.

Also, my attempts to keep Lilith at bay are weakening. I didn't have the energy to keep this up because not only did I just get in a ship crash, Yoda was using my energy to aid him. I'm far from my strongest right now, and it's only a matter of time before my body gives in and she gains the upper hand.

Lilith aimed the pointed end of her lightsaber towards me and began plunging it into the force shield I created to protect us, "You think this thing will keep me out you weak little ginger boy? Your Master would surely be disappointed in your lack of intelligence." She spat as it pierced through my shield, and was coming towards me; but slowly.

"Then maybe she should have taught me better," I spat back.

She chuckled as she placed both hands on the handle of her weapon and began pushing the lightsaber further into my force shield, "Too bad she's dead, she's the big headed one I stabbed through the heart right?" She tilted her head as she referred to the murder of Master Ti, "What a shame." She taunted.

Her words, they made no sense to me; she spoke about Ti like she didn't know her. She spoke like she didn't know me either or that she was my Master.

Now I had a theory, one I plan to test, "Where was the first place we met?" I asked as I used the force to aid me in pushing her weapon away from me and out of my shield. But my strength was slowly diminishing, and I was barely able to create any distance.

She shrugged, "Don't know, don't care."

That could just be her being petty, I need a better question, "Who is Anakin Skywalker to you?" I asked.

The glimmer of love and longing I used to see in her eyes whenever his name was mentioned, was now non-existent, "He's no one."

"No one?" I questioned rhetorically with knitted brows, "So he's no longer the love of your life? The one you were supposed to marry?"

"What kind of mind playing game is this?" She furrowed her brows, like my questions confused her, "I have never loved anyone."

Tears filled my eyes when I started to realize the truth, when I started to see what he did to her, "Is that what you really believe, or what that old man told you to believe?" I asked and I got no response her, but her eyes said it all, "You don't know who any of us are, do you?" I asked heartbreakingly as a single tear slid down my cheek.

For a moment, she was silent. Her gaze shifted between, me, Yoda, and then finally to Anakin. Her eyes lingered on him longer than it did on us, then they snapped up to mine, "Of course I do," She spoke softly through her mask, before she started using more force, and I held in a cry of pain as her lightsaber singed my palm, "Traitors to the Empire."

"No!" I shouted, pushing the pain away that was shooting through my nerves, "We're your family! Everything that man has told you is nothing but a lie, he's a liar!" I yelled over the sound of her lightsaber sizzling against my force shield while she continued her attempts to break through, "Anakin is your fiancé, Yoda is your adopted father, and I'm- your best friend!"

I saw no change in her eyes as I threw the truth down her throat, hoping it would awaken something. But it was like everything I said went in one ear, and out the other, "The only liar here is you." She uttered calmly, using more force against me.

Finally, I could feel my body giving up, I was exhausted, and I didn't have my strength to keep us protected. The only way for me to gain more strength is... no, if I break the connection, Anakin could die.

But if I don't, then we all die.

It was shitty decision to make, and I had no idea what to do. I sat there struggling against her, while also struggling to make the right choice.

It's okay

I slightly jumped in surprise at the voice inside of my head. It wasn't the sound of my own as usual either, but it was Anakin. I looked at his body for a moment to see him still unconscious; did he just talk to me?

Cal it's okay, break the connection.

I immediately shook my head, trying even harder to fight against Lilith who was overpowering me; I was seconds from having her lightsaber plunged into my chest, "You'll die."

And we'll all die if you don't break it. Someone has to be there for Ahsoka Cal, please.

Flashback
"I'll be back soon okay? I promise." I bent down and softly pressed my lips to her, which only lasted for one blissful moment before I had to end it, "I love you."

She sighed, knowing I wasn't going to allow her to change my mind, "I love you too, and you better come back." I could see the fear in her eyes, if I don't come back - it would destroy her.

I smiled as I walked backwards towards the door, "You know I will starlight." I'll do everything in my power to come back to you, and one day - I'll marry you, and spend my life making me leaving up to you.
Flashback ends

I promised her I'd come back.. and if I don't, not only does that make me a liar, but I'll also never get to ask her to be my wife someday. Does it make me selfish for wanting to break the connection solely for that future?

Cal, it's okay; make sure snips, Artoo, and Obi-Wan know that I love them. And if you get her back, please make sure (y/n) knows I love her too.

"No," I breathed. I can have the future, and I can have him in it too. It doesn't have to be one or the other, "You'll tell them yourself. I'll take care of her, and then I'll come back and we'll save you, just hold on for a few more minutes." I begged.

Before, I had no faith in my own abilities against her, but now that's changed. Now that I know that she doesn't  know who I am, I can use that to my advantage. I know her fighting style, well; she doesn't even remember mine.

So I have the upper hand.

"Hold on Skywalker." I repeated as I slowly and reluctantly broke the connection with Master Yoda. I felt it the moment it broke; I gained a rush of my energy back, but I could also feel Anakin as his life force began to steadily leave him.

And so the clock starts ticking.

I used my new gained power to push her back a couple of feet, and I was able to stand up on my two feet while pulling out the lightsaber that was gifted to me by her, "You and me Lilith, winner takes all." So basically if she wins she'll kill us all, and if I win - she's knocked unconscious and her army may or may not attack us and kill us anyway...we can't have that, "And your army can't pick up your slack either." I negotiated as I ignited one end of my weapon and pointed it in her direction, "Unless you don't have the confidence to win against the weak little ginger boy." I taunted her to gain her compliance with my deal.

She would say yes just to keep her pride at this point.

She chuckled as she tilted her head slightly, "Men, the winner will be your commander," I knew that if I could see her lips; I'd see that she was smirking.

She's displaying the amount of confidence she has in her victory in order to scare me and make me second guess myself - thus diminishing my own confidence. But that won't work, I know that's a tactic she likes to use, and I won't allow it to affect me. She may not have her memories, but she's still.. her. And fighting tactics can be like muscle memory, or at least that's what she used to tell me.

Without any time to give for Anakin's sake, I advanced towards her. I admit that my movements were a bit sloppy, but I was nervous - the future of my friends life depends on how well these next couple of minutes are going to go.

Lilith's and my crimson blades seared together; sparks of red flying between our faces, "I am going to carve your heart out and keep it as a trophy." She growled as she added pressure against me; attempting to bring me to my knees.

But I stood my ground and swiped our blades to the left. When the opportunity was open; I gave her one quick punch to the mask with the hilt of my weapon, and ignited the other end - spinning it and swinging it in her direction. She jumped backwards to avoid my clashes, and my lightsaber singed the ground under us.

"That's cheating," She backed away, her glowing yellow eyes appearing to be darker than normal.

"Okay kid, show me what you got." My Master gestured to me with one hand and I lit my blue lightsaber with a determined grin.

Without second guessing my decision;
I ran towards her and she instantly lifted her hand and pushed me back with the force. I flew off of my feet and landed on my back with a pained groaned, "Thats cheating." I choked out after getting the wind knocked out of
me.

She let out an amused laugh as she stepped towards me and looked down with a smug smirk, "There's no such thing as cheating when it comes to combat Cal." Master (y/l/n) held her hand out to me and I accepted it, "First rule to combat; there are no rules," She shrugged after pulling me to my feet.

I chuckled with a head shake, spinning my weapon over my head before holding it out defensively in front of me, "There's no such thing as cheating when it comes to combat Master," I mimicked her words, and the emotion in her eyes grew to be more cold, "There are no rules."

She simply shrugged, "If you say so." In seconds she was lifting debris from the ground, and throwing them in not just my direction - but in the direction of both Anakin and Yoda too.

"They'll play dirty and if you want to survive; you need to learn to play dirty back."

As Yoda began catching the debris aiming towards him, and throwing it to the side - I was using my lightsaber to cut through and destroy anything being thrown at me. Then when a window opened, and her focus was on Master Yoda; I flung a large piece of our ship in her direction.

In order to avoid it, she had to stop her concentration and jump out of the way; she didn't have the time to stop it herself. She rolled against the floor away from us, and I took this moment to recuperate my strength.

I nearly dropped to my knees as I placed my hand on my side, my cracked ribs were bringing me an abundance amount of pain. I felt like I was moments away from passing out. But I had to keep going, I had to survive for Ahsoka.

"I've been trying my luck with with that mind reading thing, but it's pretty difficult when it comes to other force users," Lilith slowly stood before lightly coughing; her mask sounded damaged, and she was wheezing, "So I can't hear much from you except a single name on repeat; Ahsoka, Ahsoka, Ahsoka." She repeated her name as she slowly walked towards me, her lightsaber creating etchings along the ground with every step, "Once I kill you, I'm going to find this Ahsoka, and rip out her insides."

"Especially of you're unlucky enough to encounter a Sith Lord, they're the dirtiest of all. They'll try getting into your mind and use your own weaknesses against you," She held her lightsaber up and pointed it directly at me, "Do not fall for it."

My hand was already shaking as Lilith continued her attempt to get under my skin, "I'll make her scream so loud that you'll be able to hear her begging for your help from the underworld."

"They will say just about anything to toy with your emotions; they want you to become unstable. Thus, sealing their own victory."

I shook my head, "No, I will never let anything happen to her. Even if it means that I have to kill you." Ahsoka once questioned if I would ever put (y/n)'s life over hers, well... there's the answer; no.

We were back in a quick dance as we swung our weapons in every direction, parrying each other, and moving as if we were equals in power. Sparks flew as she aggressively hit her lightsaber against mine, and used her shoulder to shove me backwards; causing me to almost fall over. As I kept myself balanced, she advanced in my direction, and I parried her attack with about a second to spare.

My mind traveled back to our training days; and I noticed that she wasn't fighting much differently.

"I hope that you never have to encounter a Sith Lord, but if you do," She advanced towards me and I quickly parried her attack, "You need to always be ready." She smirked as our lightsabers seared together in front of our faces; I smirked back; proud of myself for blocking her advance, "For anything." She added as she lifted her leg and kicked me right in the stomach; I buckled over as I backed away from her with a pained groan.

"Damn it." I silently scolded himself with a defeated sigh as I composed himself and stood up straight.

She chuckled as she stepped towards me, "Don't beat yourself up, you're still learning. And you're more advanced than most of the teens at your age, so you've got an amazing start." She placed her hand on my shoulder as she complimented my skills that surpass most of the younglings, "I'm pretty sure that there will come a day when you'll even be able to beat me." She smiled with encouragement.

I laughed as I shook my head and picked at the handle of my lightsaber, "I doubt that."

She and I dropped her hand down "Don't ever doubt yourself Cal, doubt will cloud the mind and push you closer to failure. You need to always have faith in yourself that you can do anything."

I suddenly knew what she was going to do next, and I was ready for it this time.

It was as if time slowed around me, and Lilith slowly lifted her leg; preparing to kick me in the stomach. Without a second thought, I shoved her lightsaber to the side; pushing her in the process, so that way I was at the perfect angle to kick her leg out from under her.

She fell to the floor and I used the force to bring her lightsaber into my grasp and I held both mine and hers to her neck. She breathed heavily from the floor as she glared up at me, "What are you waiting for? Kill me." She growled, "If you don't, I'll keep coming you and Ill kill every single one of you!" She screamed as the floor shook slightly beneath us. I could feel the pain, anger, and confusion radiating from her.

I took one step closer as a sob escaped my lips, and I debated on actually being the one to end her life; the first person to ever show me what love can be like. The first person who actually cared about me.

But I paused when I felt a stinging pain in my chest, and a pulse within the force that felt like it went through my entire body. And from the look on Liliths face, she felt it too; but it seemed to affect her more than me as her hand flew to her chest and she whimpered like she was just stabbed through the heart.

"Why does this hurt?" She mumbled in confusion and disbelief as an involuntary tear slid down her cheek.

I turned my head to the side and immediately knew what it was that we felt by the look Yoda was giving me; it was a heart beat - the final heart beat of Anakin Skywalker.

My time was up.. I failed.

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Please trust me before you hate me 💕
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