Now We Are Free

[Ayden Cater]

Aurelius, Master of Corell and God of Truth​

We ask that Your Light guides this one to your lands​

Where he may take rest from his long toils and ceaseless struggles​

​

Carath, Lord of the Morning and God of Travelers​

We ask that Your boots carry home each brave soul​

whose futures were paid with his loss

Innehes, Fountain of Love and Goddess of Spring​

We ask that Your hand touches the hearts of those here today​

whose lives have been affected by his passing​

and whose lives are dimmer with his absence​

​

Ihaer, Pillar of Justice and Goddess of Summer​

We ask Your warmth stretch across these lands​

that we might find some comfort in the salvation gained​

by the emptiness present of those no longer with us

Duihr, Beacon of Wisdom and God of Autumn
We ask Your guidance in these times of uncertainty​

that you might guide this one to where the traveler never tires​

the lover never leaves, the hungry never starve​

​

Ehorlen, Guardian of the Dead and God of Winter​

We ask Your favor, that his soul might be sheltered​

That we might learn from his passing​

and that his knowledge keep us safe from the darkness​

Maireana, Daughter of the Moon and Goddess of the Afterlife​

We ask Your storms bring tranquility and ease the pain we feel​

We ask that Your hand guides him to the Afterlife​

Tuarney, Heart of the Harvest and God of Fertility
We ask Your songs bring laughter to the children who follow​

That laughter and music return to us when we turn to move past these sorrows

Kalahira, Mistress of the Depths, and Goddess of Protection
We ask that Your waters wash the sins from this one​

and set him on the distant shore of the infinite spirit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yOZEiHLuVU​

 

[Ayden Cater]

The first thing Ayden became aware of was a quiet wind that brushed across his face. His vision abruptly returning, Ayden blinked in a dazed as he looked around and saw sweeping expanses of immaculately cut marble and towering pillars. Setting one hand against the ground, he found a softness he had not expected. Drawing his eyes downward, it became obvious that he had been laying on a carpeted walkway. 'What an odd thing to do,' he thought to himself as he rose to begin exploring... wherever it was that he was.

After taking the time to walk the halls, Ayden began to feel a creeping sense of familiarity. He combed his memories for some place that would have looked this elegant, but found nothing that sprang forth. The last fifteen years had been full of chaos, war, and death; few worlds were left unscathed in the wake of such tragedies as the Dark Harvest, Akala's Return, and OMNI's Clockwork Invasion. A curious smirk briefly flickered across the Corellian's lips. 'Whoever thought to name a droid rebellion 'Clockwork' was an odd one.' The smirk melted away and Ayden continued his trek throughout the expansive building.

Intrigue continued to blossom within Ayden's chest as he felt oddly like he was moving towards a grander place. His unfounded suspicions were quickly realized as what seemed to him to have been a grand hall was merely a minor thoroughfare. The true grand hall of this building was truly magnificent in scope and shape. It was as he looked up the towering statues whose mass dwarfed those of smaller capital ships that Ayden realized exactly where he was. But it didn't make sense; it had not looked like this for centuries. Perhaps more than any other location in the galaxy, this heart of order and stewardship had been hit time and time again til it was largely ruins. It had not looked this way since...

"Master Parsa!"

His head whipped around at the unmistakable sound of his own voice. Feeling like a ghost in his own body, Ayden watched himself seemingly materialize from nothingness and rush across the grand hall towards a woman who stood there with caramel-colored skin and remarkably bright violet eyes.

"Master Parsa, I figured out your riddle." It wasn't a perfect mirror; Ayden was far younger here than he truly was. Here was a boy that had barely started to grow into his own skin, with shaggy hair pulled back into a customary braid and a lopsided grin that never seemed to fair. Contrasted against the dark and flowing leather duster jacket and broad-rimmed hat that never left his side, this boy wore the muted browns of a tunic with simple breeches and leather boots.

The other woman, Master Parsa, turned from the other Jedi that she had been speaking to and gave her full attention to the excitable Padawan. A smile slowly formed over her lips, a warm gesture that managed to make even the scarred Corellian smile in remembrance. "Oh? And tell me, dear Padawan, what is it that you call a droid who always takes the longest path?"

Teeth flashed as a giggle came from the boy's throat and he blurted out at the same time as Ayden himself quietly muttered the same. "R2 Detour!"

His Master laughed, a remarkably soothing sound that always managed to set his heart at ease. She brushed her long black hair out of her face and knelt down to get a better vantage point with young Ayden. Though she continued to smile, there was a solemness that crept up on her features. "Always remember to laugh when you can, Ayden. A Jedi must shoulder great burdens. We make sacrifices and toil so that others might enjoy better times. Laugh, and learn to celebrate the lives around you. The Force is always with you, and with those around you."

The boy squared his shoulders and tried to mirror her own expression, though he looked far too dour. A ghost of his future self seemed to shine in the Corellian's barely pubescent features. "I'll be a great Jedi one day, Master Parsa, and when I do I'll make sure other people don't have to suffer. If I do all the hard things, then they won't have to."

Though she laughed and stood to lead the boy away, Ayden could not help but note the faint sadness that pooled in her eyes. And for the briefest moment, as everything faded away, Ayden swore that her eyes turned and found his. "What happened to you, dear Padawan?"

 

[Ayden Cater]

When his vision returned, Ayden found that he was still within the grand Jedi Temple. However, there were subtle differences that he immediately spotted; the atmosphere within the Temple was considerably darker and more subdued than when he giddily ran up to Master Pansa with his clever solution. Whereas before there were a wide variety of beings that walked the halls, from all walks of life, now he could only see a handful of Jedi moving throughout the halls. And even they moved with a grim purpose, with barely even a registered glance between each other.

"What if he is not ready?"

Ayden turned and found himself staring at an aged Master Pansa. Her hair had begun to silver, and there were more than a few wrinkles that had set within her features. Yet the Jedi Master retained a measure of grace and presence that made the age seem like a purposeful decision rather than an inescapable biological fact. "Ayden has been my Padawan for almost fifteen years, Master Matare." She instinctively drew upon herself, making her seem regal and commanding despite being more than a head shorter than the other Jedi. "He has learned all that he can from me. And besides, even before the outbreak of these Sith Wars, the boy had already passed the Trial of Courage when he stood his ground against the Dark Side cultists on Malastare. Some on the Council even considered that such an ordeal count as his Trial of Flesh as well."

"Kali..." The other Jedi paused, briefly considering whether to continue speaking before continuing in a more hushed, subdued volume. "No one doubts the boy's courage or power. You said it yourself; he's learned everything he can from you, and that's made him a remarkable fighter. At every opportunity, he puts himself in danger to save others. It is admirable but... But I worry that he worries too much of others." Seeing the aback gaze that had been leveled, the man quickly pushed on. "I mean that I do not know if he is capable of acting without attachment to the lives of others. He values them a great deal, more than his own even. Were he to have to choose between you or himself, I do not think he'd consider choosing himself for even a heartbeat."

"The path a Jedi walks is filled with self-sacrifice," she said slowly, her eyes drifting away from the opposed Master and towards Ayden himself. He stared back, seeing a surprising glint of sorrow there where there ought not to have been. "There is nothing wrong with a Jedi who would sacrifice themselves to save the many."

"That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it." Ire grew in the man's voice and eyes as Master Parsa's head snapped back to focus on him with matching furor. "Your attachment to the boy has clouded your judgement. If you would only take a step back, you would see that-"

"What I see, Master Matare, is that my Padawan has grown to become an exceptional Jedi, far greater than I ever was at his stage. And I see that he shall become an even greater Jedi than I am now." Ayden could not help but feel a swell of pride for his old master. The longer he dwelled within this... memory, this Force Vision, whatever it was... the more Ayden came to remember his Master and the lessons she taught him. In many ways, it was the lessons she taught on matters of guardianship and care that had shaped Ayden's views of the Force and his general outlook on life.

"Master Parsa! Master Parsa!"

All three turned and spotted the Jedi who shouted for the woman. She smiled with pride and joy while her contemporary wore a veil of disapproval. For his part, Ayden looked upon his younger self with a curious expression. The braid was gone, signifying an end to his status as a Padawan learner. He had reached full maturity and looked almost identical to his present self. Some features weren't quite right; there was a measure of pride, almost arrogance, in his movements. The most striking difference lay in his younger self's eyes; he hadn't witnessed the death of his family and half the galaxy yet. That sort of experience left a scar, and Ayden was not sure if he envied his past self or pitied him.

As Master Parsa and his younger self turned to one another and discussed matters of travel and the future, her voice warmed and Ayden could already hear the wisdom that welled from within her. "Remember; a Jedi's duty is the preservation of life. The Force wills as it does, and we are left to interpret these movements." Again her eyes moved and found his own and Ayden was left to wonder if she could truly see him. This wasn't real after all... right? "When the Force calls upon us to return to it, we should do so gladly and without regrets. All life returns to the Force; there is no end in death. What have we to fear by returning to the same source of energy that all life comes from? Don't fight it." She gave another sad smile before turning to lead the new Knight away.

Oh.

Feth.

 

[Ayden Cater]

"I celebrate life. And while it is hard to embrace together, death is a part of that." Ayden sat on the floor of his room, staring at the soft lavender glow of the holocron that had taken up residence in the middle of his room. "As a healer, my job may be to push back against the veil- but as a student of the Force, I understand that, eventually, death comes to all things." He stared at it as it recited the thoughts of one of the Jedi Order's most celebrated Healers. Bethany Kismet had left such a profound mark on the Order in her time that, even after being declared dead, a movement sprouted that sought to spread her beliefs and use them to better heal a galaxy that so desperately needed healing.

It was possible for this to occur because of a holocron that Master Kismet had made, detailing her philosophical views and beliefs as a Jedi Healer, as well as endless discussion on Force healing techniques and other healing procedures that did not rely on one's connection to the Force. It was a wealth of knowledge, prized beyond measure to any Healer. But all Ayden could do was stare blankly at it, not sure if he should revere its existence or despise it. It wasn't his, not truly. It belonged to Master Parsa... Or rather, it had. She had left on a mission to Tion. There had been an outbreak there, and they had desperately needed Healers.

He remembered running to find her, catching the venerable Master just before she boarded her shuttle. She was much older now, her hair almost pure silver with wrinkles spread across her features. Yet that same smile was still there, the one that always set his heart at ease. But not this time. "Master... I have a bad feeling about this mission. Let me go with you." A well established Knight now, Ayden had no need to address her quite so formally. But even after she technically ceased to be his Master upon his attaining Knighthood, Ayden had kept a close working relationship with Kali. She handled the spiritual side of the Force, healing and soothing, while he was her shield, her sword. He never had much aptitude for the Jedi Healing arts, but he had a wicked sharp mind that, even as a Padawan, had saved their lives on more than one occasion.

Yet now she smiled and shook her head. "I do not believe that will be necessary, child." There was a warmth there that just made the Corellian want to storm on the shuttle even more. "You are needed on Eriadu for the conference's security. You have spent more time tracking the cultists than any other, Jedi or no. Your experience is too valuable. Too many lives depend on it. I am but one woman." A small grin broke out over her face as she looked up at him. "Besides, I am not so helpless. Do I look so weak in your eyes?"

Ayden stood up a little straight and shook his head fervently. "No, Master. Of course not."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Yes I do. But though my bones may be old, I still have the Force as my keeper. And I trust it to keep me safe until it is my time." Master Parsa started back up the shuttle ramp before pausing and taking another long look at Ayden. There was no missing the pride in her eyes as she spoke. "Though I do not have any true children of my own, I have always considered you as my own son. You've done so much to become a fine Jedi. Perhaps when I get back, you and I shall talk about a few things that I've been meaning to discuss with you." Another twinkle in her eyes as she turned to disappear into the shuttle.

"We only see one tiny fleck of reality, and that fleck is fake." Of course she never did come back. After he returned from his mission on Eriadu, Ayden had discovered that there had been a terrorist attack on Tion. The medical crisis had just been a ruse to gather a large number of Jedi in one place. "The idea that we are independent of each other is deep and pervasive and so easy to be taken in by. After all, that's what it looks and feels like, doesn't it? Every one of us alone, moving through this galaxy in a billion random directions." When the bombs started going off, apparently Master Parsa began hurling stone and metal to deflect and contain the blasts. Other Jedi that had survived said she practically shone with the Force. A great many lives had been saved, but the ordeal had been too much for her. She passed away before they could dig her out of the rubble, a smile still on her face. "But this is false. There is no 'us' and 'them'. The illusion of separation is just that - an illusion. It goes beyond the idea that we are all connected, though that is how many Jedi interpret it. There is no separation. What we do to another, we do to ourselves."

After her funeral, Ayden had received a number of her possessions; her lightsaber, several books, and a single holocron. He sat in his room and meditated, trying to reach out and find Master Parsa's spirit. "Death is no different. It is not separate from life, it is not the opposite of it. It is sad, to lose those we love, because we miss them." Tears slowly streamed down his face, but he was unwilling to acknowledge them. There was still so much he needed to ask his Master, so much he wanted to talk about with her. "Because time is linear in our understanding, and there is this yawning expanse of apparently empty forever that goes on past the death of those we care about. He abruptly stood up and reached for the blasted holocron. How he had ever thought this thing would help him understand his late Master any better... But just before he could hurl it into a wall, he froze. "This is normal, and good, to mourn those we love. But we mourn them because we no longer have them. There is an empty spot in our lives. But our lives are not the Force. Understanding that a person's death does not leave a void in the Force is the first step to understanding life."

"When the Force calls upon us to return to it, we should do so gladly and without regrets. All life returns to the Force; there is no end in death. What have we to fear by returning to the same source of energy that all life comes from? Don't fight it." He could almost hear the old Jedi whisper those words in his ear. Slowly, he lowered his arm and held the tiny holocron in his hand. It pulsed with that faint lavender light, and a faint smile inexorably found its way to his lips.

 

[Ayden Cater]

"The Council has reviewed your service to the Order. With one recent exception, we can find no fault in your time as a Jedi." Ayden stood in the center of the Jedi High Council, on the highest floor of the High Council Tower. Around him were a dozen of the greatest Jedi the Order had produced in the last four hundred years. "Your service as a Padawan to the late Master Parsa was done with great distinction and honor. Your time as a Knight has been equally brilliant and steadfast. At every chance, you have leapt to serve the Republic, to check against the rise of the Sith. You have upheld the highest standards this Council has placed upon the Order, and you have served "

Ayden's eyes narrowed for a fraction of a heartbeat before that practiced mask of neutrality came over his face. "Forgive me, Master Matare, but to what recent exception are you referring?"

"On a mission to Tatooine, you saved a slave girl instead of apprehending your target, Darth Tralus." There was a muttering amongst the Council. "Your actions allowed a known agent of the Dark Side to escape. The ramifications of his freedom have yet to be felt, but they will be dire I'm sure." Some seemed to agree with Master Matare's sentiments, that a known Sith Lord should have been made the higher priority. Others seemed to side with Ayden, though not nearly as many as Ayden felt should have. In the last five years, since Master Matare's rise to Grand Master on the Council, there had been a shift in the Jedi Order; one that Ayden could not abide, nor would his late Master.

He had saved the woman, and the others within the ring, because he felt it in his heart. In every fiber of his being, he felt the Force speak to him. She was important, then and there, not the Sith Lord. There would be time again to hunt down the Sith Lord and put an end to his Dark Side philosophies. But if he left Tatooine then to pursue him, if he let her out of his sight, Ayden knew he'd never see her again. So he turned and broke apart the slave ring. He sent those wretched beings to their freedom. And she came with him, back to Coruscant.

It was quickly clear to him that there was an attachment he had made with this woman, one that Council would not approve of. While as a Jedi he had always cared for the masses, he was particularly concerned with her well-being. She had been trapped in the bindings of a slave for three years. Had he not intervened when he had, she was to be taken to Nal Hutta. Since she had no family left after her capture, Ayden had taken it upon himself to take care of the woman until the Council could make better arranges.

At least, that had been the plan.

"I extend my gratitude to the High Council for their belief in my being ready to take on the title of Master... but I must decline."

Shocked murmurs rippled throughout the chamber as Master Matare struggled with himself for a moment to fully comprehend what had been said. "You are declining the Council's decision to appoint you a Jedi Master?" It was plainly evident that the older man was not at all used to someone taking a stand against him or his beliefs. Master Parsa had been his leading opponent for years, but her death, along with the continuing rise of the Dark Side, had led many to begin siding with the strict, traditionalist Jedi Master.

"I do not believe it is the time for me to become a Master, not with Council's current priorities." He kept his voice even and professional, even when he felt the undercurrents of righteous anger threaten to rise. Disbelief washed across the Council as many were struck dumb by the Corellian Knight's claims.

"No Jedi Master has defied the Council, not in the last two hundred years."

"Then as I am not yet a Jedi Master, your record remains untarnished." He paused, the barest hints of a satisfied smirk suppressed on his Corellian features. Ayden leaned forward slightly to bow, far shorter than was proper, and locked his eyes with the stunned Grand Master. "Thank you, Master Matare. May the Force be with you all."

----------

As Ayden walked down the Temple's great steps, he found the former slave girl standing on them. A smile brightened her features as she talked with a pair of Jedi. He considered for a moment telling her about what had transpired. Ayden did not much care for the idea of lying. However, as she studied her face and found himself staring longer than necessary, he found that he couldn't bring himself to tell her what had transpired. She would have blamed herself for his actions.

"Ayden! There you are. How did things go with the Council?" She stared up at him with a smile that was brighter than any star in the galaxy. He swallowed his unease and discomfort and gave her a matching smile. The other Jedi dismissed themselves and gave the two of them some privacy. He took her hands in his own and studied them intently for the barest fraction of time; the smoothness of her skin, the silky darkness of her skin tone in comparison to his own. Could he disappoint her? Could he make her feel shame about something he had gladly done without regret?

"The Council has decided that it best if I continue to take care of you for the time being." As he let her lead him away towards a speeder garage, Ayden found that it did not much feel like a lie. And even if the Council might have thought her life unimportant, he disagreed. Though she might not have been a part of his life before he became a Jedi Knight, Ayden found that he didn't care for the notion that she leave his life any time soon.

"Tell me Elara... Have you ever been to Corellia?"