#she'd never ever admit it but she does view Cal as a friend lmao

[imogenkol]

— WIP WEDNESDAY

tagged by @socially-awkward-skeleton and @inafieldofdaisies to post a wip! Thank you both! 💕💕💕

as always, no pressure tags (and pls let me know if any of you don’t want to be tagged in wip days anymore): @detectivelokis @marivenah @jacobseed @aceghosts @jinfromyarikawa @phillipsgraves @corvosattano @unholymilf @simonxriley @roofgeese @chuckhansen @queennymeria @florbelles @risingsh0t @minaharkers @nokstella

I honestly just wanted to write Imogen getting bullied by the Mantis Crew, but this is her attempt at making friends. First time she’s tried. She wasn’t a fan.

“You know,” Imogen said as she sauntered into the Mantis crew’s hideout. Cal was the first to react, igniting his lightsaber and shifting into the defensive stance of a Jedi. The ghost of an amused smile curled at the corner of Imogen’s mouth. She remained nonchalant. “Despite your very best efforts, it was not that difficult to find you.”

If anything, Cal tensed further at the sight of her familiar face. “We weren’t hiding from you.”

“Have you been waiting for another opportunity to challenge me?”

“No, we just have bigger problems than a failed Inquisitor.”

She ignored the slight and stepped forward. The Jedi mirrored her advance, his blue blade humming excitedly. “And yet here I am before you once more.” 

“What do you want?” 

“Contrary to your perception of me, Cal, I am not here to fight you.” In an effort to lower his guard, Imogen placed her hands behind her back.  

“My perception of you?” Cal asked, exasperated. “Exactly which betrayal and murder attempt did I misinterpret?” 

Imogen resisted the urge to roll her eyes. His dramatics were unnecessary. “That was a long time ago.” 

“Not nearly long enough for me to forgive and forget. Not without one hell of a good reason to trust you. And it’s going to take a lot, Imogen.”

“My priorities have shifted. It may benefit our interests if we again become… allies,” she said, narrowly avoiding choking on the word. Imogen couldn’t quite bring herself to suggest friendship. She still had much to learn when it came to her romantic connection with Bix, navigating a whole new dynamic didn’t appeal to her.

Cal shook his head. “Fool me once.”

“It’s been more than once,” Imogen pointed out smugly. 

“I’ll ask again. What do you want?” 

“I have joined the Rebel Alliance.” 

Greez, who had previously remained as silent as the rest of the crew throughout the tense exchange, released a hearty laugh. “Here I thought you didn’t have a sense of humor, but I gotta give it to you, that was a good one!” 

Cal noted Imogen’s steely expression. “She isn’t joking.”

“I’m not,” she confirmed.

“Why?” Urgency willed the Jedi closer to his old adversary. “What’s your angle? What do you have planned?”

Imogen kept her body still. “I’ve told you. A lot has changed, Cal, and because of that I must reevaluate who I consider to be an enemy.”

“That’s not good enough.”

Irritation shot up Imogen’s spine. Her patience at his persistent questioning wore thin. She knew Cal wouldn’t just openly accept a change of heart, but she didn’t feel comfortable revealing the details of her new outlook. Imogen Kol would not willingly expose her neck to a fool like Cal Kestis. Though… she had to acknowledge he wasn’t entirely foolish. Otherwise she wouldn’t be here. 

“I’m not who I was,” she said. 

“You want me to just trust you when you won’t even trust me enough to give a real reason.” Cal scoffed and finally put his lightsaber away. “You’ve wasted your time coming here. Whatever you want, I can’t help you.”

Imogen should have left it at that, but a part of her actually wanted this to work. “You’re right, I don’t trust you. Not yet. We both have things we need to protect and I cannot risk –” She had enough self restraint to cut the sentence off before she showed her hand, but the sudden intensity her tone had taken caused her face to flush. 

Weakness, her thoughts bitterly chastised. 

“Can’t risk what?” Cal pressed. 

“Not what,” Merrin chimed in. Imogen often forgot about the Zabrak’s existence until she spoke. “Who. She has someone.”

Imogen sharply glared at her. Merrin stood unfazed by the way the former Inquisitor’s eyes burned with hatred. She stared back as if she had simply recited an obvious fact. It made Imogen fume. “Perhaps I should have cut out your tongue when last we met. There is still time.”

Merrin ignored the threat and looked to Cal. “That’s why she’s here. She’s fallen in love and has dared to consider fighting for something other than herself.”

“I’ve already fought for her,” Imogen fiercely snapped. 

Another misstep. 

The outburst all but confirmed Merrin’s accusation. Imogen didn’t believe that Cal or the crew posed a threat to Bix directly, but she learned from her time as an enforcer for the Empire that to surrender the knowledge of what matters most is to guarantee it will be used against you. With all the enemies she has made, it only takes one loose end to lead back to her relationship. Cal may be a valuable asset in protecting what she holds dear. Or he could be a fatal mistake. Imogen originally intended to draw a definitive conclusion to that uncertainty before her true intentions had been revealed. 

“Tell me about her,” Cal said. 

Imogen answered immediately and firmly. “No.”

He shrugged. “You want me to believe you? That’s my price.”

“You are asking me to freely confess the one thing that can truly hurt me.”

“I’m asking you to trust me with it.”