Cal Kestis (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
yeahprobably) wrote2020-02-28 04:02 pm
yeahprobably) wrote2020-02-28 04:02 pm
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lastvoyages
User Name/Nick: Gwen
User DW:betterdeadthanred
E-mail: isthereair[at]gmail[dot]com
Other Characters: None currently, most recently Gene Roe and Michael
Character Name: Cal Kestis
Series: Jedi: Fallen Order
Age: 18
From When?: Post game, after destroying the holocron
Inmate/Warden: Warden. Cal is a moral person who wants to see the best in people and tries to promote forgiveness rather than revenge.
Item: BD-1
Abilities/Powers: Cal is Force sensitive, spent most of his early life at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and was taken on as a Padawan for the better part of a year before the Jedi Purge, so he's had a fair amount of practice learning about and using the Force. Trauma from the Purge damaged his connection to the Force, but while searching for the Jedi holocron, he was once again able to successfully use the Force to push and pull objects telekinetically, make superhuman jumps, and temporarily slow enemies down. He's also very adept at using a lightsaber, reacting quickly enough to redirect blaster fire, switching between single, double and Jar'Kai dual-blade sabers effortlessly in combat, and holding his own against more skilled foes like the Second Sister.
However, Cal is still definitely not at the skill level he would have been if the Purge never happened, as his training was cut ludicrously short, so he's not anywhere close to a master with most of these skills. He excels in a lot of the physical aspects (running, climbing, jumping) thanks to his life on Bracca as a rigger for the Scrapper's Guild, where he'd be doing some of the most dangerous and physically challenging work at the scrapyard, and he's good with a lightsaber, managing to beat the Ninth and Second Sister in combat, but he needs Merrin's help to beat Malicos (a former Jedi) and stands no chance against Darth Vader.
Cal's psychometry is a somewhat unique ability that's rare even among Jedi, and it allows him to sense the history of objects using the Force via touch. This ability is activated by certain objects, not everything he comes across, and is usually associated with very strong emotion, positive or negative. For objects that have been witness to particularly bad events, Cal can become overwhelmed by the memories and experience them as if he was living through them, unaware of his surroundings.
Personality: Like most people raised by the Jedi, Cal is a pretty moral person who takes doing right by people seriously. This is a pretty core part of who he is as a person, and something he does instinctively, often jumping in to help those in need and hoping for the best outcome without really thinking through if the odds of his own survival are bad. When given the chance, he almost immediately agrees to help restart the Jedi Order, aid the fledgling rebellion, and ultimately acts selflessly to protect the lives of the Force sensitive children listed in the holocron by destroying it.
The Jedi Purge interrupting his training did have an important influence on who he is as a person, making him much more quiet and closed off than he would have been if the Republic had survived and things had continued as normal. Hiding out in a scrapyard as a rigger on Bracca, Cal kept his past to himself and had few friends, even keeping his distance from his closest buddy, Prauf. This more closed off nature has started fading back as he's among people he can talk to honestly about his past, and he's opened himself up to trust certain people who have proved they deserve it, but it characterized a lot of the last five years of his life and still influences how he interacts with people he doesn't know well.
But while he's quiet and can be slow to trust, he's also a lot less dignified and composed as the ideal Jedi would be. Cal might be relearning how to use the Force again, but none of his rebooted training nominally under Cere Junda, and mostly his own journey of self discovery, has really emphasized controlling your emotions or shutting out things like anger or love. Throughout his search for the holocron, he gets angry and upset, and forms real bonds of friendship with the Mantis crew. It's never really explained why Cal hasn't emphasized finding that kind of emotional zen encouraged by the Jedi Order, but Cere is far from a traditional Jedi at this point, and his interactions with her and Merrin can be interpreted as Cal more or less accepting that because the Order has fallen, it's okay to exist as a survivor doing your best to honor the past without getting totally caught up in it.
By this pull point, Cal has found a kind of peace with his past and his guilt regarding the death of his master, Jaro Tapal, during the Purge. After his death, Cal blamed himself, telling Cere that if he'd only been faster or braver, Tapal would still be alive. Cere rightly points out that Cal was a child and couldn't have done anything more than what he did, but Cal still felt guilty his master had died trying to protect him. A couple Force hallucinations later, Cal has come to accept that what happened wasn't his fault, and has resolved to live his life in a way he hopes Tapal will be proud of.
That said, being thirteen years old and watching your pseudo parent get shot to death in front of you by a troop of soldiers you considered your friends was traumatic, and Cal still definitely carries some trauma surrounding the incident. He doesn't know why the clones turned against them besides the obvious political reason (the Empire can't consolidate its power with the Jedi standing against them), so he's left to wonder if they were just following orders, if they'd betrayed them willingly, or if they'd felt sorry at all for what they'd done. Realizing the community you'd been raised in essentially since birth is also gone is also difficult to deal with, knowing you're always going to be on the run or in hiding unless you can overthrow the massive political machine trying to wipe you out. Cal's doing his best to make the best of his current situation, but it's still something complicated and unfortunate to carry around with you.
Cal is also definitely something of a thrillseeker. On Bracca, he worked as a rigger, meaning he was specifically tasked to dismantle some of the more dangerous, hard to reach parts of wrecks. On Kashyyyk, he enthusiastically leaps out of the Mantis into open water and takes control of an AT-AT, an opportunity he clearly enjoys and lets himself have fun with. Again, not exactly a typical Jedi attitude to have, but Cal can't really be a typical Jedi anymore.
He's also incredibly stubborn. This is usually a good trait - and he'd probably argue he's more persistent than stubborn - because he's unlikely to back down in the face of bad odds if he thinks something is worth fighting for or protecting. He's also eager to try and find new solutions, thinking quickly on his feet to keep things moving towards the ultimate goal, but it can also mean he's unlikely to let an argument go immediately and he might clash with someone who's trying to boss him around.
Cal's personal experience with trauma, his psychometry (which gives him a unique perspective on the emotions and experiences of other people), and being raised by the Jedi have made him an ultimately very hopeful and empathetic person. While on Bracca, he hoped a time would come when survivors of the Purge would arrive to rescue him, and he has hope that the resistance against the Empire will continue to grow and ultimately overthrow it. His empathy allows him to connect with people like Merrin, who have also experienced really traumatic events, and they're able to go from enemies to allies and friends based on their shared experience with losing their respective families and communities.
And despite his stubbornness, he's also ultimately a forgiving person who's happy to give people a second chance. Obviously this doesn't extend to everyone under every circumstance, but Cal forgives Greez for getting them in trouble with the Haxion Brood, Cere for lying to him about her experiences during the Purge and with her Padawan, and after seeing her memories of being tortured by the Empire, is even eager to convince Trilla to let go of her hatred and turn back to the Light. He's by no means a doormat, but he's open to people regaining his trust or turning their lives around rather than judging them based on one mistake or a bad situation they were forced into.
Barge Reactions: Cal is very good at rolling with the punches. While there's a lot that will be different for him on the Barge - everything skewing towards Earth rather than his own more complex galaxy is going to mean trying a lot of new food, pop culture, and everything else - he's had his world turned upside down twice now, and has adjusted to both changes pretty well. He tends to be good natured and friendly enough, so that partnered with a natural curiosity means he'll be more enthusiastic about learning new things than annoyed that things are different.
He's also had plenty of experience dealing with traumatic events, so the scarier aspects of being on board will not be that out of the ordinary from his previous life experience. Floods and other weirder events will throw him for an initial loop, but again, he's pretty adaptable and not likely to freak out. He's also pretty quick to help people who need it, so he will probably be good with newcomers or people who are having a worse time coping with an event.
Finally, Cal also genuinely does believe in giving people second chances, so he's likely to be willing to give inmates the benefit of the doubt instead of being annoyed by the general set up.
Deal: If Cal helps an inmate graduate, Trilla Suduri will be brought back to life.
History: Cal Kestis on Wookiepedia
Sample Journal Entry:
[Cal clicks on the video feed to show he's crouching next to a terrarium in the main cabin of the Stinger Mantis, most of which (besides the cockpit) passes for his room on the Barge. The terrarium is full of unusual looking plants, from a small tree to feathery purple flowers to a few that are glowing gently in the dim light. Cal's constant companion, BD-1, hops up to the railing in front of the glass, balancing precariously and cocking his head to stare into the camera.]
Someone was asking me why I was asking the locals a bunch of questions about seeds during the last port. The captain of the ship we were on - before this one, I mean - really loves plants, but only when they're not out there in the great big world. [Cal shares a wry look with BD-1, sounding fond but also a little exasperated.] Not exactly the most adventurous guy we've ever run into.
[BD-1 beeps in agreement. While he and Greez have more or less come to an agreement, the little droid knows they're not exactly each other's favorite person on board the Mantis.]
While we were out exploring, we'd bring back seeds from some of the local plants to kind of "pay our way," but if you promise to keep this a secret, [He pulls the camera a little closer, raising his hand to his mouth and speaking mock conspiratorily.] I think he's actually kind of glad to have company.
[BD-1 whistles, bobbing his head and Cal chuckles.]
He'd probably love the garden here. He's really into cooking, too, so I bet he'd be all over your potato farm, Whatney. [He grins, knowing the scientist is probably pleased he doesn't have a bossy space captain cannibalizing his experiment.]
I'm not sure we're taking any seeds home with us, if the Admiral even lets stuff like that happen. Basically all of the Earth plants we've run into are pretty different from what we have where we're from, and we've got enough people on our tail, never mind chefs who really want to add pineapples to their menus.
Sample RP:
In the year and eight months they've been on board this ship, this is the first time since coming on board the Barge that the place they've pulled into port is actually familiar to Cal and BD-1.
Well, sort of familiar. Neither one of them has visited the Black Spire Outpost on Batuu before, but after visiting several, admittedly very interesting Earth cities and totally alien planets (including the one with the genocidal creatures that tried kidnapping and torturing everyone, but the less said about that, the better), it's a nice change of pace to be walking through crowded streets full of droids, Rodians, and Twi'leks, passing by shops and stalls selling familiar looking fruit and drinks. He hasn't been to a planet in his galaxy this crowded since well before the Purge, and BD's definitely more used to remote, quiet planets where there's significantly more wildlife than people, but it still feels a lot more like home than London or ShiKahr had.
Admittedly, it's pretty lousy that being here means he's back to keeping his head down and hoping none of the Stormtroopers patrolling the area pay too much attention to him. He's gotten used to freely using the Force again, and not worrying about what people's reactions will be if he says he's a Jedi, or if he needs to pull his lightsaber in a tight spot. Walking past shops with the hood of his poncho up to hide his distinctive hair and his lightsaber tucked away feels like a step backwards.
Also lousy that Luke Castellan - temporary inmate of the month, something that's been a frustrating reality since Heero vanished a couple months ago - managed to lose him near the Droid Depot. It's not the end of the world - Luke can take care of himself, and Cal knows the guy definitely doesn't want a baby sitter, but he knows the other teenager is absolutely planning something less than good, and there's plenty of trouble you can get into in a place like this.
BD-1 chirps from his perch on Cal's back, directing the Jedi's attention to one of the newer wardens trying to haggle with a Gamorrean for some kind of sketchy looking bit of meat on a stick. Cal hangs back, knowing better than to interrupt the transaction, but falls into step beside the guy once he's walking away and the vendor's trying to entice his next customer.
"I wouldn't eat that if I were you," he warns, a little wryly. "Have you seen Luke?"
Special Notes: I'd like Cal's droid buddy BD-1 to tag along with him, please! BD-1 is a droid that was built to assist with exploration. He has a spotlight, a holoprojector, a scanner to collect data, and an internal compartment to carry healing stims. He also has equipment that allows him to hover for a short period of time, but cannot fly. I checked and when Poe Dameron was here, he had BB-8 along with him as his warden item (link to his app and mod note approving it), so if that's still cool I'd appreciate it. c:
User DW:
betterdeadthanredE-mail: isthereair[at]gmail[dot]com
Other Characters: None currently, most recently Gene Roe and Michael
Character Name: Cal Kestis
Series: Jedi: Fallen Order
Age: 18
From When?: Post game, after destroying the holocron
Inmate/Warden: Warden. Cal is a moral person who wants to see the best in people and tries to promote forgiveness rather than revenge.
Item: BD-1
Abilities/Powers: Cal is Force sensitive, spent most of his early life at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and was taken on as a Padawan for the better part of a year before the Jedi Purge, so he's had a fair amount of practice learning about and using the Force. Trauma from the Purge damaged his connection to the Force, but while searching for the Jedi holocron, he was once again able to successfully use the Force to push and pull objects telekinetically, make superhuman jumps, and temporarily slow enemies down. He's also very adept at using a lightsaber, reacting quickly enough to redirect blaster fire, switching between single, double and Jar'Kai dual-blade sabers effortlessly in combat, and holding his own against more skilled foes like the Second Sister.
However, Cal is still definitely not at the skill level he would have been if the Purge never happened, as his training was cut ludicrously short, so he's not anywhere close to a master with most of these skills. He excels in a lot of the physical aspects (running, climbing, jumping) thanks to his life on Bracca as a rigger for the Scrapper's Guild, where he'd be doing some of the most dangerous and physically challenging work at the scrapyard, and he's good with a lightsaber, managing to beat the Ninth and Second Sister in combat, but he needs Merrin's help to beat Malicos (a former Jedi) and stands no chance against Darth Vader.
Cal's psychometry is a somewhat unique ability that's rare even among Jedi, and it allows him to sense the history of objects using the Force via touch. This ability is activated by certain objects, not everything he comes across, and is usually associated with very strong emotion, positive or negative. For objects that have been witness to particularly bad events, Cal can become overwhelmed by the memories and experience them as if he was living through them, unaware of his surroundings.
Personality: Like most people raised by the Jedi, Cal is a pretty moral person who takes doing right by people seriously. This is a pretty core part of who he is as a person, and something he does instinctively, often jumping in to help those in need and hoping for the best outcome without really thinking through if the odds of his own survival are bad. When given the chance, he almost immediately agrees to help restart the Jedi Order, aid the fledgling rebellion, and ultimately acts selflessly to protect the lives of the Force sensitive children listed in the holocron by destroying it.
The Jedi Purge interrupting his training did have an important influence on who he is as a person, making him much more quiet and closed off than he would have been if the Republic had survived and things had continued as normal. Hiding out in a scrapyard as a rigger on Bracca, Cal kept his past to himself and had few friends, even keeping his distance from his closest buddy, Prauf. This more closed off nature has started fading back as he's among people he can talk to honestly about his past, and he's opened himself up to trust certain people who have proved they deserve it, but it characterized a lot of the last five years of his life and still influences how he interacts with people he doesn't know well.
But while he's quiet and can be slow to trust, he's also a lot less dignified and composed as the ideal Jedi would be. Cal might be relearning how to use the Force again, but none of his rebooted training nominally under Cere Junda, and mostly his own journey of self discovery, has really emphasized controlling your emotions or shutting out things like anger or love. Throughout his search for the holocron, he gets angry and upset, and forms real bonds of friendship with the Mantis crew. It's never really explained why Cal hasn't emphasized finding that kind of emotional zen encouraged by the Jedi Order, but Cere is far from a traditional Jedi at this point, and his interactions with her and Merrin can be interpreted as Cal more or less accepting that because the Order has fallen, it's okay to exist as a survivor doing your best to honor the past without getting totally caught up in it.
By this pull point, Cal has found a kind of peace with his past and his guilt regarding the death of his master, Jaro Tapal, during the Purge. After his death, Cal blamed himself, telling Cere that if he'd only been faster or braver, Tapal would still be alive. Cere rightly points out that Cal was a child and couldn't have done anything more than what he did, but Cal still felt guilty his master had died trying to protect him. A couple Force hallucinations later, Cal has come to accept that what happened wasn't his fault, and has resolved to live his life in a way he hopes Tapal will be proud of.
That said, being thirteen years old and watching your pseudo parent get shot to death in front of you by a troop of soldiers you considered your friends was traumatic, and Cal still definitely carries some trauma surrounding the incident. He doesn't know why the clones turned against them besides the obvious political reason (the Empire can't consolidate its power with the Jedi standing against them), so he's left to wonder if they were just following orders, if they'd betrayed them willingly, or if they'd felt sorry at all for what they'd done. Realizing the community you'd been raised in essentially since birth is also gone is also difficult to deal with, knowing you're always going to be on the run or in hiding unless you can overthrow the massive political machine trying to wipe you out. Cal's doing his best to make the best of his current situation, but it's still something complicated and unfortunate to carry around with you.
Cal is also definitely something of a thrillseeker. On Bracca, he worked as a rigger, meaning he was specifically tasked to dismantle some of the more dangerous, hard to reach parts of wrecks. On Kashyyyk, he enthusiastically leaps out of the Mantis into open water and takes control of an AT-AT, an opportunity he clearly enjoys and lets himself have fun with. Again, not exactly a typical Jedi attitude to have, but Cal can't really be a typical Jedi anymore.
He's also incredibly stubborn. This is usually a good trait - and he'd probably argue he's more persistent than stubborn - because he's unlikely to back down in the face of bad odds if he thinks something is worth fighting for or protecting. He's also eager to try and find new solutions, thinking quickly on his feet to keep things moving towards the ultimate goal, but it can also mean he's unlikely to let an argument go immediately and he might clash with someone who's trying to boss him around.
Cal's personal experience with trauma, his psychometry (which gives him a unique perspective on the emotions and experiences of other people), and being raised by the Jedi have made him an ultimately very hopeful and empathetic person. While on Bracca, he hoped a time would come when survivors of the Purge would arrive to rescue him, and he has hope that the resistance against the Empire will continue to grow and ultimately overthrow it. His empathy allows him to connect with people like Merrin, who have also experienced really traumatic events, and they're able to go from enemies to allies and friends based on their shared experience with losing their respective families and communities.
And despite his stubbornness, he's also ultimately a forgiving person who's happy to give people a second chance. Obviously this doesn't extend to everyone under every circumstance, but Cal forgives Greez for getting them in trouble with the Haxion Brood, Cere for lying to him about her experiences during the Purge and with her Padawan, and after seeing her memories of being tortured by the Empire, is even eager to convince Trilla to let go of her hatred and turn back to the Light. He's by no means a doormat, but he's open to people regaining his trust or turning their lives around rather than judging them based on one mistake or a bad situation they were forced into.
Barge Reactions: Cal is very good at rolling with the punches. While there's a lot that will be different for him on the Barge - everything skewing towards Earth rather than his own more complex galaxy is going to mean trying a lot of new food, pop culture, and everything else - he's had his world turned upside down twice now, and has adjusted to both changes pretty well. He tends to be good natured and friendly enough, so that partnered with a natural curiosity means he'll be more enthusiastic about learning new things than annoyed that things are different.
He's also had plenty of experience dealing with traumatic events, so the scarier aspects of being on board will not be that out of the ordinary from his previous life experience. Floods and other weirder events will throw him for an initial loop, but again, he's pretty adaptable and not likely to freak out. He's also pretty quick to help people who need it, so he will probably be good with newcomers or people who are having a worse time coping with an event.
Finally, Cal also genuinely does believe in giving people second chances, so he's likely to be willing to give inmates the benefit of the doubt instead of being annoyed by the general set up.
Deal: If Cal helps an inmate graduate, Trilla Suduri will be brought back to life.
History: Cal Kestis on Wookiepedia
Sample Journal Entry:
[Cal clicks on the video feed to show he's crouching next to a terrarium in the main cabin of the Stinger Mantis, most of which (besides the cockpit) passes for his room on the Barge. The terrarium is full of unusual looking plants, from a small tree to feathery purple flowers to a few that are glowing gently in the dim light. Cal's constant companion, BD-1, hops up to the railing in front of the glass, balancing precariously and cocking his head to stare into the camera.]
Someone was asking me why I was asking the locals a bunch of questions about seeds during the last port. The captain of the ship we were on - before this one, I mean - really loves plants, but only when they're not out there in the great big world. [Cal shares a wry look with BD-1, sounding fond but also a little exasperated.] Not exactly the most adventurous guy we've ever run into.
[BD-1 beeps in agreement. While he and Greez have more or less come to an agreement, the little droid knows they're not exactly each other's favorite person on board the Mantis.]
While we were out exploring, we'd bring back seeds from some of the local plants to kind of "pay our way," but if you promise to keep this a secret, [He pulls the camera a little closer, raising his hand to his mouth and speaking mock conspiratorily.] I think he's actually kind of glad to have company.
[BD-1 whistles, bobbing his head and Cal chuckles.]
He'd probably love the garden here. He's really into cooking, too, so I bet he'd be all over your potato farm, Whatney. [He grins, knowing the scientist is probably pleased he doesn't have a bossy space captain cannibalizing his experiment.]
I'm not sure we're taking any seeds home with us, if the Admiral even lets stuff like that happen. Basically all of the Earth plants we've run into are pretty different from what we have where we're from, and we've got enough people on our tail, never mind chefs who really want to add pineapples to their menus.
Sample RP:
In the year and eight months they've been on board this ship, this is the first time since coming on board the Barge that the place they've pulled into port is actually familiar to Cal and BD-1.
Well, sort of familiar. Neither one of them has visited the Black Spire Outpost on Batuu before, but after visiting several, admittedly very interesting Earth cities and totally alien planets (including the one with the genocidal creatures that tried kidnapping and torturing everyone, but the less said about that, the better), it's a nice change of pace to be walking through crowded streets full of droids, Rodians, and Twi'leks, passing by shops and stalls selling familiar looking fruit and drinks. He hasn't been to a planet in his galaxy this crowded since well before the Purge, and BD's definitely more used to remote, quiet planets where there's significantly more wildlife than people, but it still feels a lot more like home than London or ShiKahr had.
Admittedly, it's pretty lousy that being here means he's back to keeping his head down and hoping none of the Stormtroopers patrolling the area pay too much attention to him. He's gotten used to freely using the Force again, and not worrying about what people's reactions will be if he says he's a Jedi, or if he needs to pull his lightsaber in a tight spot. Walking past shops with the hood of his poncho up to hide his distinctive hair and his lightsaber tucked away feels like a step backwards.
Also lousy that Luke Castellan - temporary inmate of the month, something that's been a frustrating reality since Heero vanished a couple months ago - managed to lose him near the Droid Depot. It's not the end of the world - Luke can take care of himself, and Cal knows the guy definitely doesn't want a baby sitter, but he knows the other teenager is absolutely planning something less than good, and there's plenty of trouble you can get into in a place like this.
BD-1 chirps from his perch on Cal's back, directing the Jedi's attention to one of the newer wardens trying to haggle with a Gamorrean for some kind of sketchy looking bit of meat on a stick. Cal hangs back, knowing better than to interrupt the transaction, but falls into step beside the guy once he's walking away and the vendor's trying to entice his next customer.
"I wouldn't eat that if I were you," he warns, a little wryly. "Have you seen Luke?"
Special Notes: I'd like Cal's droid buddy BD-1 to tag along with him, please! BD-1 is a droid that was built to assist with exploration. He has a spotlight, a holoprojector, a scanner to collect data, and an internal compartment to carry healing stims. He also has equipment that allows him to hover for a short period of time, but cannot fly. I checked and when Poe Dameron was here, he had BB-8 along with him as his warden item (link to his app and mod note approving it), so if that's still cool I'd appreciate it. c: