Private Duality of the soul

[Kaelyn Serev]

Dusk slowly crept across the training terrace of Shiraya’s Sanctuary a once warm day giving way to the chill of evening. Hunched near the center of the terrace sat a young Padawan, muscles aching and breath ragged exhausted from pushing himself far beyond what had been advised.

With a muttered curse, he straightened as a soft breeze swept copper hued locks from his eyes.
“Should have listened to the instructor,” he grumbled to no one in particular. “Why didn’t I listen to the instructor?”
The question drifted unanswered into the open sky, carried off by the wind.

He remained there in quiet bewilderment, still struggling to accept the distance between who he had been a simple artisan’s son on Epica and who he was now: an aspiring Padawan standing at the unknown.

Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

Kaelyn Serev​

Aiden Porte moved quietly through Shiraya's Sanctuary, the stone still holding the last warmth of the day beneath his boots. Evening had thinned the crowds, though a handful of Padawans lingered on the training terrace, pushing themselves a little too far in the fading light.

His attention settled on one in particular. The young Padawan sat near the center of the terrace, shoulders tense, muttering frustrations to the open air. Aiden slowed, a small and knowing smile touching his expression. He had heard that tone before. He had worn it himself once.

He stepped closer, his presence calm and unassuming, careful not to startle. "What exactly was it," Aiden asked gently, his voice carrying easily in the quiet, "What advice did you not heed?"

He stopped a respectful distance away, hands loosely folded behind his back, eyes kind rather than judging. The Force around him was steady, offering patience instead of pressure, as dusk finally gave way to night.

 

[Kaelyn Serev]

The sudden words startled the young Padawan , catching him off guard as he hadn’t expected anyone to address him. Cerulean hued eyes widened slightly as they turned toward the one who had spoken.
Kaelyn hesitated, unsure how to respond. He struggled to recall the proper way to greet another member of the Order let alone a Jedi Knight. Not wanting to leave an uncomfortable silence hanging between them, he finally spoke.

“I was instructed not to attempt the more difficult settings of the training course,” he admitted, “but I couldn’t help myself and prove that I can handle it.”

Instinctively, Kaelyn braced for whatever reprimand might follow. Such moments had become commonplace in his life, a familiar pattern that seemed to be one of the few constants he could rely on.

Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

Kaelyn Serev​

Aiden saw it clearly, the way Kaelyn braced himself as though waiting for impact. It stirred something familiar in him, a memory of younger days when correction had felt like condemnation.

His expression remained gentle.

"The course will be there tomorrow," Aiden said evenly. "And the next day after that. The Jedi do not demand that you break yourself in order to prove devotion. We are not meant to push recklessly. We are meant to grow deliberately."

He folded his hands loosely behind his back.

"You are not measured by how quickly you conquer something difficult," he continued. "You are measured by how well you listen, how you adapt, and how you endure." A faint smile touched his features. "To be honest, there are Knights and Masters who forget that from time to time."

The breeze stirred lightly across the terrace, carrying the last traces of warmth from the stone.

"My name is Aiden Porte," he added, voice warm with quiet sincerity. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

 

[Kaelyn Serev]

Relaxing slightly when the reprimand he had expected did not come, Kaelyn allowed himself a small breath of relief. It was a welcome change. If not a reprimand, then perhaps a lecture would follow something he much preferred, if he were being honest with himself.
“As much as I understand that a Jedi must not be reckless in their approach to situations, I want to be out there making a difference.”

He considered the Knight’s earlier words, knowing they held truth. Still, his impulsive nature was something he struggled to temper a flaw he knew he would have to overcome.

“Really?” A hint of surprise crept into his voice. To him, those who reached the rank of Knight let alone Master always seemed to embody the Jedi Code to the letter.
“Kaelyn Serev. It’s nice to meet you as well.”
With that, Kaelyn offered a slight bow out of respect.

Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

Kaelyn Serev​

Aiden returned the bow with a small incline of his head, accepting the respect without encouraging distance.

"To want to make a difference is not a flaw," he said gently. "It is the beginning of why we serve."

He studied the young Padawan for a moment, not critically, but thoughtfully. The urgency in Kaelyn's voice was familiar. It was the same fire that drove many to the Order, and the same fire that could burn too hot if left unchecked.

"You will go out there," Aiden continued. "You will help people. You will stand between fear and those who cannot defend themselves. But if you rush ahead before you are ready, you risk becoming another person someone else must save."

His tone remained steady and simple. This wasn't a lecture, just simple advice.

"Knighthood does not mean perfection," he added with a faint smile. "It means we have failed enough times to understand our limits and learned to respect them."

The evening air cooled around them as the last light slipped below the horizon.

"Your impatience tells me you care," Aiden said. "Now you must learn to guide that care with discipline. That is what will truly make you effective. Do you want to try again, I'll run it with you?"

He looked toward the training course briefly, then back to Kaelyn.

 

[Kaelyn Serev]

"But when will I know when I am ready?"

It was a genuine question that Kaelyn had voiced to himself more times than he could count. To many in the Order, it might have seemed childish and if he were honest with himself, it seemed that way to him as well yet it was something he truly wished to understand. A spark of curiosity burned in the young Padawan's mind as he wondered what sort of adventures awaited him once he was finally able to see the galaxy.

"To help people and be a bulwark against the darkness is something I hope to aspire to." Kaelyn paused briefly before speaking again. "What attracted you to the Order?" he asked, curiosity lacing his words with almost childlike wonder.

Leaving his question hanging in the air for a moment, he turned back toward the training course, then glanced over at Aiden once more.

"I would like to run it again, and I would be honoured to have you join me."

Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

Kaelyn Serev​

He let the question settle between them, weighing it with the care it deserved.

"You will know you are ready," he said at last, "When the need to prove yourself becomes quieter than the need to protect others." His gaze remained steady, warm rather than distant. "Readiness is not a sudden feeling, it is a patter, and you respond instead of react. You pause before you move. You act because it is right, not because it is urgent."

A faint smile touched his expression. "And even then, you will still feel uncertain. That does not go away. It simply becomes something you carry with steadier hands."

At the question about himself, Aiden's eyes drifted briefly toward the horizon.

"I was not drawn to the Order by adventure," he admitted. "I was drawn to the idea that strength could be gentle. That power did not have to dominate. The Jedi offered a way to stand in the storm without becoming it, that mattered to me."

His attention returned fully to Kaelyn.

"The desire to be a bulwark against darkness is noble," he said. "Just remember that a bulwark is built layer by layer. Not all at once."

When Kaelyn asked him to join, Aiden's smile widened slightly. He stepped toward the course beside the young Padawan, presence calm and centered.

"Lead the way, Kaelyn."