Private The Great Unknown (Kyra Perl)

[Caedyn Arenais]

Deep Space
"The Vagabond" Heavy Assault Cruiser
Kyra Perl

For a Silver Jedi-in-training, the Silver Rest offered a great deal of information and tools to help empower one towards their prospective Knighthood, however Caedyn did not share the long lived experience of life within a Temple as his Father had been raised. The Je'daii Order had encouraged travel and first hand experience amidst the greater Galaxy beyond their typical worlds alike Aurum and many others where their Temples had resided.

It had aided Caedyn in his understanding of other species and cultures, to explore and witness many different paths in life that others walked yet all of which also shared the single fact that no matter how different and far beyond their own views, the Force was present among all. Every living being and creature across the vast expansive Galaxy was connected via the Force, that which was the very essence of life as they understood it.

There were many, many mysteries yet to be discovered and learned about out there, and as Caedyn had been shown by his Master, he wished to offer his own Padawan the experience of learning about life and Galactic Society with her own eyes, as opposed to relying on the holo's in the Archives back home on Kashyyyk.

As the Vagabond cruised through real space (the natural state of travel unlike Hyperspace), Caedyn and his Padawan Kyra Perl stood upon the observation deck at the head of the Bridge while the senior officers tended to their duties under the command of Captain Whayeson behind them. Together, he and Kyra could speak freely here without the need to worry about the rest of the Crew.

The Observation Deck itself was a vast flat platform somewhat elevated from the rest of the Bridge by a good five or six steps, railing lining the perimeter with seating at the sides were there need. During most Space-Faring missions, this was often where Caedyn remained so that he could observe the vessel and the happenings around them, while also maintaining contact with the Captain whom once served alongside his father long ago.

Up until now, Caedyn hadn't really exposed his Padawan to the position that he held as a "Naval Commander" presiding over the Vagabond. The prospect of command wasn't something that he was ever really overjoyed about as he didn't have any military background and had otherwise been trained by those who prospered over the ideals of peace and diplomacy more than anything.

The Vagabond had however been financed back in the Outer Rim by the profits of his Parents reign over Commenor as the former Monarchy, and the continued investments that had been left in play following the death of Veiere Arenais. Sooner or later he would introduce Kyra to his family, however that was his personal life and something that came second to their lives as Jedi.

"So...-What do you think?" Caedyn glanced to his Padawan as they stood before the vast Transparisteel wall, great thick transparent alloy standing between them and the vacuum of space on the other side.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra rocked back on her heels, her usual bubbling energy subdued as she stared out into the vacuum that was space. Her quietness, while out of place, was slowly creeping up more often in their encounters. Her lips were pressed into a soft line, her eyes wide and holding tension that she had yet to express to him. Something was slowly shifting inside the girl.

She was silent for a moment longer, leaving him to his thoughts as she lingered in her own.

"It's big." The worlds slipped out, no context giving as they caught on her lips and cut through the subtle hum of the ship's engine.

She didn't explain further, finally moving to rub goosebumps from her arms.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

It's big.​

Kyra Perl certainly wasn't wrong, though her response was rather lacking the excitement or sense of astonishment that Caedyn had expected someone in her position might react to all of what was around her. His Padawan was rather talented in always keeping him guessing, never reacting or behaving in the way that he might expect but otherwise keeping him guessing as to what might be going through her mind.

"Yes it is" He replied, looking to her somewhat concerned for how she seemed to portray a sense of...Was it uncertainty? She was always rather difficult to read at times, even when the Jedi Knight felt he had a clue as to what her aura was giving away, Kyra was very much an intricate case. "Remember what it felt like when we connected with the Force through meditation. Despite how enormous the Galaxy is, I still find it incredible to know that the Force connects every single living presence across the stars to one another...".

Caedyn reached out to place a hand upon the Girl's shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze in his usual reassuring or encouraging way; a gesture that seemed to be a thing, a habit that he had picked up since having taken her under his wing and gradually getting to know each other. "No matter how scary or impossible things might seem, something that helps me is to remember that nothing is too great or too large when compared to the Force...-The very same Force that guides us, every Jedi's greatest ally".

 

[Kyra Perl]

Oh yes. Remind her of there was something even more infinite than the universe, that would sooth her.

Her heart skipped a beat, eyes growing a little wild as she looked up to him. It was no secret that she had not believed in the force until that meditation session. At least not in the extent of what it truly was-- a living power that filled them all. She had felt it was all religious hogwash pushing her abilities into some exaggerated cause.

Until he had bridged that gap and helped her feel it herself. Now everything was up for questioning.

"Why. Why should it care about us at all," she challenged, her voice still subdued. "The sith can use it. We shouldn't act like it's just our friend."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn's gaze left Kyra Perl as she questioned the nature of the Force, the Jedi Knight looking back out into the vast abyss that was space, dotted with stars too numerous to count. "The Force is powerful, so much so that we do not know everything about it despite the centuries of study the Order has dedicated to learning and living alongside it" Caedyn replied, his voice gentle yet confident in what he believed; "However we all have the free-will to choose how we live out our lives and while the Jedi treat it with great care and respect, the Sith abuse it for their own ends".

It seemed they were delving into a subject that was very deep, one that Caedyn hadn't planned to cover where they stood with the crew at their backs. However, it seemed his Padawan was in a place of uncertainty and skepticism, and Caedyn wished to give her the answers to the questions she held. "You obviously know about the 'Lightside' and the 'Darkside', terms that people use to refer to the abilities practiced either fueled by emotion and ambition, or through peace of mind and reason. These two halves are part of the same whole, the one Force that binds us all" Caedyn explained.

"The Force does not choose to be good or evil, these are concepts created by society based upon a collective view of things. The power that the Sith wield is not dangerous because of the Force, but rather because of their emotions and intent to use it in such a perverse and abusive way" Caedyn glanced back to his Padawan, looking to gauge if she was following and understanding what he was saying; "Their emotions fuel the Force to become something violent, not the other way around".

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra grew silent, an unpleasant tingle rippling through her body. His words coalesced into one point. One fear. One sentence.

"Does that make me darkside too?"

He would know what she meant, the girl dominated by the empathic gift she could not control. Everything she did was emotion-fueled. Every reaction she had, every use of her powers or swing of her saber. He may have not meant to suggest it, but the insinuation was there. And her stomach churned at the thought.

She didn't move a muscle, her body held taught as even her breath stilled. The world felt quite and cold as she awaited the answer, fully expecting him to finally drop the hat and confirm a deep rooted insecurity. One placed there by the sith that held her all her those weeks ago.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"I can't recall there ever being a time where you've gone out of your way to cause harm to someone through use of the Force?" Caedyn replied quickly with the first response that came to mind, his tone light and relaxed; "However there is a little more to it, and also something I have yet to explain to you about the Je'daii whom I trained under as a Padawan" he added, a hint of apprehension in his voice. "There are many different views towards those who practice the Darkside, from the perspective of Jedi much like ourselves" Caedyn turned back to look out into the darkness of space, his thoughts heavy on the subject.

"It's important that you take some time to think about what it means for someone who knows and practices the Darkside...-This manner of using the Force doesn't automatically make them Killers or Criminals, and it's vital that we know the difference between judging someone for their beliefs as opposed to their actions". Truth be told, Caedyn wasn't certain whether Kyra Perl was ready to adopt this lesson. It was a critical view and perception of Caedyn's, one that made a huge difference in how he lived by the code of the Jedi compared to many others within their Order and connecting Jedi Organizations or branches.

"Thinking back to what I said about the Force being one presence, and that peoples emotions can manipulate the nature of it's practice, we know that the choice and control is in the hands of the User. Being able to use the Darkside of the Force doesn't make someone a bad person, nor require our intervention. It is the choices that people make that define them, in line with their ideals or perceptions of right and wrong" He looked back to his Padawan once more, studious of her.

"The best example I can give you...-Is that I myself know how to use the Darkside of the Force" he finally informed her. It was something that had come to mind more than a few times, a prospect that in earlier days would have likely put fear into Kyra. However he relied upon the fact that she had since spent time in training with him, and had a front row seat in terms of who he was as an individual, sharing a connection that had allowed her to view into the depths of his mind and feelings.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra gaped. It was the only way to describe the long, unresponsive look she gave him, her mouth slowly falling open. He was right to be aprehensive. Her fear came first and foremost, cutting into the air. The presence of the crew members hovering distantly around them rubbed into her mind-- assuring her that she was not alone. She could run.

But the instinctive response came to pass, her rational mind coming to play and help process what he had said. He was also right in that she did know him. She had experienced his life, intimately, and had revealed facets of himself that had delveled deeply past the surface. He was a good person, through and through. She could not reconcile that with his admittance to the use of the darkside.

"But-" she uttered, choosing her next words very carefully. "Any use of the Darkside corrupts us. The more you use it, the more-" Fear for his safety bubbled out of her, replacing the concern for her own well being. She grabbed at his hand, her palm clammy. "You have to stop it."

Her gaze pleaded in that unspoken, watery way she had, horrified over the concept of losing him to it. It rippled clearly throughout the air.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

When Kyra Perl took his hand in hers, Caedyn looked a little surprised at first and soon recognized her concern for him once her fear of the prospect had subsided enough so to think with clarity and reason. "It's good of you to be concerned for me Padawan, that truly means a lot" he smiled to her with warmth and appreciation, "Be assured in the fact that while I can practice these darker abilities, I do not. It's not in my nature to be an aggressive person as you may have learned already, and my desire to serve as a Jedi is one of the aspects of my life I am most certain about".

"Something you should understand about the Je'daii Order that I was formerly a part of, is that while they sound similar to the Jedi we know today, they have their differences and not all of their ideologies align. You see, the Jedi favored neutrality and understanding, study and respect of the Force as a whole. They did not encourage any specific faith or following to one 'side of the Force', for they do not perceive the Force to be as black and white as the Jedi do" Caedyn's former Order was however a far older traditionalist group, outdated by the Jedi and their teachings today. Both the Sith Empire and the Silver Jedi had originated from the roots of Force Users, they of whom had in turn started at the very beginning with the Je'daii. There were those exceptions to this like the Miraluka and so on, but for the most part both Jedi and Sith were once known for the same name and following.

"I am a Silver Jedi Knight today, and will be for the foreseeable future as long as I have my way. I cannot however bring myself to forget the training and upbringing of my Master's teachings and in some ways these will always set me apart from other Jedi of the Galaxy" Caedyn explained further, looking back to Kyra soon after; "But it's also important that you form your own views and beliefs. We are both individuals and while I am a Jedi Knight and you my Padawan, we're both individuals and I do not expect you to live by my perception of the Galaxy. I want you to explore things and form your own opinions".

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra's mind raced. He would feel flickering of the chaos-- whispers against his mind. The connection between the two was growing stronger, forged deeper with every day, every time he brought her into meditation with him.

It all cut off as her hand left his. She dropped it to her side, her nervous energy breaking into a pace that she did small circles with.


"So you don't use it?" She asked, hair whipping out as she looked back up at him for clarity. It was desperate, all encompassing-- the rest of her response resting on his confirmation.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"No" Caedyn confirmed in answer, "I don't practice the Darkside. I know how, yet I actively avoid it. As a follower of the Jedi Path, there are some methods of Dark Side Practice that I consider to be perverse and disrespectful..." he added for her better understanding of his stance towards the subject.

"The point that I'm trying to make is that we should never judge someone based solely upon their appearance or their beliefs. Every person in the Galaxy has a right to free-will and to believe what they choose to believe. It isn't until we see evidence of their guilt, criminal or violent behavior, that we should seek to intervene" he continued, wanting Kyra Perl to learn to consider carefully her reasons for engaging someone in conflict the next time she would do so.

"Never forget that drawing upon our Lightsabers should be a last resort. We don't seek to start a fight, but if we're forced to, we will finish one for the greater good".

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra turned on him, his words bringing up a conundrum of the past. "But how? There's so many of them out there, and it's just us. Or you. Or me. How can I bring in, say, a whole room of slavers or save a bunch of girls on stage without killing everyone in my way?" She rattled passionately, the example far too specific to be theoretical. And yet he had heard nothing on it in the past.

"They don't listen-- they don't care-- they'd rather fight, or run-- or hurt others. The pirates didn't listen to you, you know? How can we do good things and not use violence, when they have the free will to just-- runaway!"

Thal Mantis had taught her this lesson, and it had results that Caedyn was still not exposed to. The padawan had been left feeling helpless and incapable, and it was only the rouge jedi's horrific actions that had save her and the other woman that day. Kyra had tried her best to avoid it, and because of that, everyone had nearly been lost.

It was a predicament she couldn't reconcile with, the girl now more prone for violence than she was before.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"They don't listen-- they don't care-- they'd rather fight, or run-- or hurt others. The pirates didn't listen to you, you know? How can we do good things and not use violence, when they have the free will to just-- runaway!".

Caedyn nodded, listening to Kyra Perl voice the same concerns that he once did as a student. It felt a little dangerous to put it down to using one's best judgement, but when things did break out into violence out in the field, sometimes that was all Jedi were left with.

"As Jedi, we never seek to remove people of their free-will" Caedyn repeated, taking a momentary pause before elaborating with a sense of caution in his words, "However, there will be those out there that we cannot talk down from a fight and our hands will at times be forced to reach for our lightsabers. In these times, when possible we should always seek to disarm or immobilize our opponents rather than taking their lives. It's unfortunate that we should have to fight at all, but we need to do our utmost to seek the best possible outcome even in bad situations".

Caedyn had sadly been forced into many such confrontations, and not all of them had ended well either.

"There may come a time where you will be forced to take someone's life in the interests of your own safety of that of others..." He looked back to Kyra, his expression somewhat grim on the subject, liking nothing of the prospect of his Padawan having to kill; "Remember that our actions should always be taken in consideration of the greater good...-It's never a good thing to have to take a life, but as hard as it is to admit this, some time's it's the best decision we have in a mixed bag of bad decisions. If it comes down to your life, other innocent lives and that of an aggressor...-You defend and protect".

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra swallowed hard, a bit of steel entering her spine. She had killed before. She had seen others, many others, killed around her. Those deaths didn't touch her as hard as they should have. In truth a fair amount of disassociation went into those results. But the sanctity of life still weighed heavily on her mind. Her sense of justice and drive to protect helped her accept and process his words.

"I don't want to kill anyone," she vowed, her voice near inaudible. "...But I will, to protect others." They were hard words to say, but Thal Mantis had taught her them. Through example, through words, through harsh realities, he showed her that sometimes there was no other way.

Evil people didn't play ball with her morals. So she would have to step up and adopt theirs.

She back away from him, eyes wide and somber as they watched the space drift by and the stars twinkle in the distance. "....It's big," she repeated, wrapping her arms around herself and resting her forehead against the glass.

"We can't protect everyone, can we." Defeated, words she didn't want to accept.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

The Jedi Knight exhaled slowly, a silent sigh escaping him to the final observation his Padawan had made. The Galaxy was truly vast and while there were many Jedi out there, both within and outside of the Order of the Silver Jedi, Kyra Perl was correct in the fact that they couldn't be everywhere, for everyone.

"We do what we can to bring in more Jedi, train them in the hope of providing what service we have for as many as possible..." Caedyn replied, his voice fading in a moment of pause before answering honestly, "But it's never enough to quieten the Galaxy, no".

"The fact is that if it weren't for the Jedi, the Galaxy would be a much darker place" he added after a moment of quiet between them; "Don't get me wrong there are good people out there but politics is a dangerous game in itself and the Jedi are a means towards hope without the risk of corruption".

Caedyn had been raised by a political family, his Mother Queen of Commenor during the majority of his life in which he was able to be present for many a formal meeting or session in politics. That, coupled with the many wars across the years spurred on by other Governments had done little to motivate him to want to explore the lifestyle any further.

"I wish I could tell you that this was an easy path to take in life" Caedyn turned to look to Kyra, his features gentle, forcing a small smile out of consideration and the desire to soften the blow that was the reality of the Jedi Path; "But we take on a great burden so that others don't have to. Fight to protect those who cannot fight for themselves...-It's an honorable cause, but there's good reason to why our training is so long lived and intense".

 

[Kyra Perl]

It was not what Krya wanted to hear, but it was what she needed to hear. She had been operating off bed time stories--holoflicks-- books. Kyra had come into the order wanting to live up to the excitement of her mother's and sister's tales. But they were just that-- stories, lacking in the harsh details because who would want to sit there an relive it to a child?

Kyra was experiencing it on her own now.

It was a lot to process. The galaxy was a fair bit uglier than the stories had ever amounted to.

Could she do this? The question had been sitting in her mind, seeded there all those weeks ago by the sith. She still lacked an answer, the girl feeling particularly small as she stared out at the bowls of space.

"...Do you know a Coren Starchaser ?" She finally asked, her voice as soft as the question was abrupt. She didn't catch his gaze, just like she wouldn't answer about that thing that had upset her on her way over here. He had sensed it, nosey puss, but Kyra had done a good job dodging the questions and skidattling away from his company, into her sister's hands.

Now on the way back from OPA space, to Silver territory, the elephant in the room seemed ready to rear its head.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"I've only had the honor of meeting the man once, though my Father told me that there were few among the Jedi that he trusted as much as he did Coren Starchaser..." Caedyn replied, his brows furrowing as he found himself quickly intrigued by the nature of Kyra Perl 's change of subject.

"From what I've learned from my Father's Holocron, he and Master Starchaser were both responsible for a lot of the biggest gatherings of Jedi, from across all corners of the Galaxy. They both wanted to strengthen the presence of the Order in the Galaxy...-To unite them" Caedyn further explained.

"I met Master Starchaser when I first began to work alongside the Outer Rim Coalition, today known as the Outer Planets Alliance. I later met his Son whom visited me at the Jedi Enclave on Svivren that I had re-established...".

"The man you're asking about is one of the most recognized Jedi Masters in the Galaxy" Caedyn turned to look to his Padawan, his head lifting slightly as he put two and two together, "You've finally taken to reading the Archive journals I've been sending you? I suppose I should've known you'd take to his name above all the others..." Caedyn huffed a breath, an exhale leaving him in the form of skeptical chuckle.

 

[Kyra Perl]

As Caedyn rattled out the various achievements of her suddenly-back-from-a-cigarette-run-known-as-war father, Kyra's body posture slowly grew smaller. Oh. So guess had been busy then. Hearing Caedyn speak so highly of the man she couldn't reconcile her relation to only furthered her own inner turmoil.

It would be so much easier to hate him for it if he was a jerk. Instead Kyra squirmed, struggling to find a place to throw blame for her feelings. If she had learned of his presence half a year ago, she would have found his absence unforgivable. The concept that she mattered less than the strangers he had helped burned through her chest, the sense of abandonment ignored all reason.

But she had seen the galaxy burn lately.

She had seen war.

She had seen innocents suffer.

He had been addressing the very thing that haunted her in her sleep. She understood his actions, even if she couldn't put that feeling into words yet. No-- then it would feel like she was excusing. Or forgiving. Which she did not!

For a moment Kyra debated keeping the discovery to herself. It felt like a loaded reveal, one that even she couldn't swallow yet. She glanced once up at Caedyn, her expression tentative as she fiddled with something new at her neck, singing with the force.

"..."

Had she been reading the holocrons? Heh. No. She looked back down, heat to her cheeks as she answered tightly.

"He says he's my father."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn blinked a moment, surprised by her response.

"You've met him recently?" He asked at first, not having realized she'd spent any time with him at all, let alone the revelation that he was her Father. Though Kyra Perl might not think to ask or take an interest in Caedyn's past, the Jedi Knight fully understood the weight of being the child to someone of immense stature such as Coren Starchaser .

"The Daughter of Coren Starchaser...-I'll be damned" Caedyn replied with a soft chuckle, shaking his head in astonishment. "Of all the people that you could've been born to, the chances that I would choose to take on the daughter of the man whom was one of the few my Father trusted undoubtedly. I've told you I don't believe in mere coincidence haven't I?" he smiled, glancing back to Kyra and giving her a nod in acknowledgement and confidence.

"What did he tell you, exactly?" Caedyn asked further, intrigued as to the validity of the claim. Coren had not struck Caedyn as a man to speak such things without good reason and honesty. Furthermore his Father's trust was not easy to come by.

"You never met my Father, and you probably haven't heard much about him but one thing I have learned is that the Force runs strong through our bloodlines, those of us who have children pass our strength on to the next generations", a sentiment that Caedyn hoped Kyra might take confidence from. Not to dwell on the weight of expectations but to know the Force would be with her always.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra soured, turning away from the window and crossing her arms.

"I don't want his strength. I thought he was just a pilot!" She had met him officially through Yula, every other encounter being distant as he passed through Silver Rest, or stopped by for a moment to catch her mother in a request.

"I just needed a ride to you-- you didn't say anything about not using family friends," she grumped, confession to the loophole she had used to get through his lesson on traveling independently. She hadn't thought about the man's reputation, or prestige. Her mother was well established, a business tycoon that many knew across their home planet. She wasn't unused to a degree of recognition.

But the respect that Caedyn built in his voice when he talked about the blood she had supposedly inherited-- what that might mean for her... Well that suddenly put a whole different weight to it all. She squirmed.

"I want a DNA test."