Private The Path of a Warrior

[Caden Evesa]

Myrkr.

It wasn't where he expected the great, fabled Mandalorian leader to reside. It was nothing more than a smugglers haven, a wooded planet perfect for building a hidden hovel or a hidden base. It was nothing but trees and emptiness, the entire planet was all but devoid of alien life, no-one really touched it from offworld.

In hindsight, maybe it was the perfect place for a rumored terrorist to reside.

Kaine Australis had been called many things in the stories that Caden had read of him. In some, he was a fabled Mandalorian leader and warrior, well trained and deceptively brutal. In others, he was a terrorist coward and an absolute horrible person to be around. In all of them, he very much liked a fighter and he very much liked getting his hands dirty.

There were reports of Kaine Australis being self-absorbed, reports of him being spiteful. These were doubted, as there were also reports of Kaine Australis being an honorable man, courageous and dutiful. It was always possible that Kaine Australis was all of the above, Caden honestly expected it.

His experiences on Jedha with Teyla Sal-Soren had taught him many things, however it had also taught him that he didn't really have a place anymore. He wasn't a Jedi and even if the Silver Jedi would have welcomed him back he didn't want to return. He had too many bad memories linked with the Jedi.

He wasn't even really a civilian either though. He didn't have anything to his name, except the ship he had taken, the collection of weapons he had and his droid. He had access to money through his fathers accounts, however to access that he would need to fight the trust fund and that was a whole issue he didn't want to go through.

Teyla was unique to him, in many ways. She too had been struggling with her identity as a Jedi yet for different reasons to Caden. She, as far as he was aware, wasn't living with the guilt and self hatred that he had to subject himself to every single day. She, as far as he was aware, had never gone to war with her own master like he had.

They'd keep in touch, of that Caden was certain. He quite liked Teyla, he felt for her and understood her position. She had been through a lot, much like him. Perhaps the force had guided them together to support each other through their rough patches. Caden pondered for a moment about this, pondered the force.

Myrkr, that was the planet below him.

He needed to focus himself, focus on detail. If he didn't, he would end up lost in his own head, spiraling into sadness and depression. He needed to focus on the little details, like the planet he was guiding his ship down towards. He needed to focus on everything other than his own head, like why he was on Myrkr and why he was searching out a potential intergalactic criminal.

Definite intergalactic criminal, depending on who you asked.

Caden had heard the name Kaine Australis spoken multiple times in the Jedi Temples. He had supposedly fought the Sith at Wayland, fought the Emperor himself in the past. Caden had never met the Sith Emperor, however he had seen the visions that Damian Starchaser 's lightsaber held and that was enough to scare him.

Kaine was a warrior, that was why Caden had traveled to Myrkr.

He had never really met an enemy in his time, never truly had a reason to fight. Sure, he had his lightsaber (which he double checked was on his belt) and he had basic training in how to use it. However, he had never truly needed to use it until he had fought Okkeus on Mygeeto, until he had truly lost everything.

In that moment he realized that a lightsaber alone wasn't enough, a lightsaber alone wouldn't be enough to protect himself if a Sith came knocking, looking for trouble. He needed to learn all forms of combat, from lightsaber to hand to hand. There were none better at combat than the Mandolorians.

The ship touched down in a clearing.

Damian Starchaser would be capable of teaching most forms of combat, of that he was certain. Damian however was a Jedi and what Caden wanted to learn was something a true Jedi would be unlikely to teach. Caden wanted to learn to fight dirty, to truly compete with anything that would come across him.

He was willing to fully throw himself into the true Mandolorian culture. He wanted to experience everything that came with living the warrior lifestyle. He knew the basics, as everyone did. He knew that the Mandolorians formed clans and occasionally the clans elected a leader, but that was about all he had.

His young, small frame slowly stepped from the ship.

He wanted to devote his time to something. He couldn't devote his time to the art of the Jedi, he wasn't fit to carry the title of Jedi after all of the hurt and pain he had caused people, after he had nearly gotten his best friend killed. He couldn't devote his time to politics, he knew nothing about politics.

So where better to spend and devote his time than a group of potential criminals, absolute spiteful gentlemen and true warriors who acted with honor and had a sense of duty. To Caden, it was exactly where he fit in, a no-one trying to find a home, trying to find his place in the galaxy after he had lost everything.

So he walked into the trees and tried to find the man he was seeking.

K Kaine Australis

 

[Caden Evesa]

He was being watched.

Of that he was certain. He had expected to be watched, he would have been surprised if he wasn't. Myrkr was a smugglers den and a smugglers hideout, but it was also home to a powerful Mandalorian leader. It was home to a powerful Mandalorian leader who was rumored to be slightly paranoid.

He licked his teeth and continued deeper into the forest. He wasn't exactly sure how he was being watched, he wasn't sure if cameras were lining the trees. The force was useless to him, it was giving him no real insight as it normally did.

The planet of Myrkr was responsible for that, he was sure of it.

He had flown over a city when he had breached the Myrkr orbit, it seemed the most likely place to find the warlord and mercenary. Caden completely expected Kaine Australis to be living in a big palace, a big show of power from the Alor.

That was his target, the city. He figured it would be a walk, few hours at best. He was glad he had chosen a comfortable pair of boots to accompany his Chase Edgewear T-shirt and his Chase Racewear Jacket. It was the only clothing he owned that wasn't his Jedi robes.

And he didn't deserve to wear those.

He double checked his lightsaber at his side. He had no idea how good he would be with it, the force seemed dead to him and he was a poor fighter without it. Every stroke of his lightsaber was normally guided by the force, if he didn't have that he was screwed.

It was going to be an awkward situation if he ended up getting into a fight, he would lose.

It was when he saw the figure in front of him that he stopped walking, that he froze. The man was tall, easily six foot if not more, probably closer to six five. He was built like a tank, built like a true warrior and a true fighter. He was extremely obvious.

"You must be the fabled Kaine Australis"

K Kaine Australis

 

[Caden Evesa]

He couldn't help but smile.

Clearly someone who liked a laugh, Kaine appeared behind the young boy. The young boy felt more at ease than he had done in about a week, the smile across his face as he turned from the Captain of the Guard and spun on his heels to face the true warlord.

"I expected you to be the taller one"

It was a true enough statement, all of the stories that Caden had heard had left an image in the mind of the boy. He had expected seven feet of pure muscle mass stomping through a battlefield with a large battle axe and a gun bigger than he was.

Kaine wasn't short, not by any standards. He was tall, built like a brick and scary to look at yet he didn't at all match the image that Caden had built up in his head. He didn't match the warrior image that Caden had, yet Caden still knew not to mess with him.

He still had no access to the force, still couldn't sense anything around him. His foresight was gone, his ability to see how much of a threat that Kaine truly posed was nothing. Myrkr was proving to be an insufferable planet, but perfect for what he wanted.

The young boy unzipped his jacket, spinning to show that the only weapon he had was the lightsaber at his side. It was pointless trying to reach for it, the men surrounding him would slaughter him before it's yellow blade would slide from it's hilt.

Caden had expected the Alor to live in a big palace. While he couldn't entirely disprove that theory, the time it had taken Kaine to reach him was evidence that at least began to disprove the theory that Kaine Australis' residence was a big palace.

"The stories paint you as a honorable gentleman, they also paint you as a selfish, spiteful, self-absorbed man. I don't care which you are Kaine, for all of the stories name you as one of the better warriors in the galaxy. I never expected to say this, but that's exactly what I'm looking for, someone to teach me the way of the warrior and everyone tells me you're one of the best to learn from."

K Kaine Australis

 

[Caden Evesa]

Caden wasn't a solider.

As much as he had tried to kid himself when he was in the Silver Jedi, he wasn't a solider. Being a nameless private among ranks of troops wasn't something that interested him. He wasn't a nameless private, he had much more to offer than that.

Kaine Australis was a man who still confused Caden. The young boy had experiences with people, he could read most of them. Damian Starchaser was like the cool uncle, Mathieu was the big guy with a soft heart, Teyla was just as lost as he was.

Okkeus...

Caden dropped that thought before he spiraled. He needed to prevent himself from focusing on the past, focusing on Okkeus or else he would truly lose himself to the pits of sadness and depression. He needed to keep himself living in the moment, in the here and now.

The Alor was confusing though, Caden couldn't tell if he was going to be his best friend or blow his brains out. He laughed when Caden spoke then went on a tangent about how the young boy had insulted him and then asked for his help in a situation.

Then offered it anyway.

Australis had promised him blood, sweat and tears. He had expected nothing less, Caden had expected to work. He had expected the storied warrior to put him through his paces. He expected to spend time among the man and his clan, learning and serving.

He followed, like an obedient slave. He followed because Kaine was holding the carrot on the stick. Kaine was promising him the training that he so desperately wanted, the training that he had traveled to Myrkr just to seek out.

K Kaine Australis

 

[Caden Evesa]

Kaine never asked for a name.

Honestly, Caden wasn't sure if he would have told the truth even if Kaine had asked. He wasn't sure if would have just given a fake name, a whole new identity, a fresh start. Caden wasn't sure who he was anymore, wasn't sure if he was still Caden.

Caden had been a Jedi, he wasn't fit to call himself a Jedi any longer. Did that stop him being Caden though, did it change who he was? It was a question he would need to think about, an answer he would need to think of in his own time.

The Mandalorian made it clear that Caden had the advantage in knowledge. The boy knew numerous details about Kaine unlike the Alor, who knew nothing about the boy. Caden had read the stories and the reports on Kaine, where as Kaine had none of that to read on the boy.

What did he want in life?

He thought about the question while they walked. In his head, he could have taken the question two ways. He could have lied, given a completely fake story and lead Kaine down a complete lie. However, Caden assumed that Kaine needed to know at least parts of the truth to truly understand the boy.

"Imagine being lost, having no-where to call home. I've been there, walked the galaxy with no idea what I'm doing or where I'm going. I've just existed, quietly drifting through space with no-where to call home, no routine or structure to follow"

The sadness in his voice was obvious. The young boy was truly lost, he had no-one really. He had given up everything when he had cast aside the title of Jedi, when he had nearly gotten his best friend killed and when he had truly lost his brother.

Again, he was wondering through his mind. He knew the moment he started reliving the adventures with Okkeus he would be lost, he needed to keep focused on the here and now, on the present. He needed to keep himself grounded, keep himself focused.

"I want to be... more, I guess. Better than I am. I want structure and routine"

K Kaine Australis

 

[Caden Evesa]

He didn't even have a response.

Cause the thing was, Kaine was right. Caden couldn't even argue with him because he was right. Everything Kaine said had truth behind it. He did indeed have nice clothes, a nice ship (granted it was stolen but it was still a nice ship) and a lightsaber by his side.

In reality he had no reason to come to Myrkr, he had no right to seek out Kaine. Kaine was this galactic wide legend to certain people and he was just Caden, some down and out kid with a tame sob story and more in life than most people would ever have.

Yet he felt like he was in the right place.

"Maybe I am just one big sob story Kaine, maybe I am. You know what though, I have more heart than ANY of these Mandalorian soldiers you surround yourself with. While I was out there tending to the wounded of the Bryn what were you doing? Sitting here, surrounded by all your pretty little soldiers. You were hiding"

The anger tore through his voice, aimed at no-one in particular.

"If you didn't see anything in me, if you thought I was just a stupid sob story you would have left by now. You haven't, so clearly you must see something within me. The stories call you self absorbed and spiteful, not an idiot. You wouldn't waste your time on me if you didn't see some promise"

He licked his teeth and looked at the Mandalorian in front of him. He hadn't intended to bite Kaine's head off, he hadn't intended to snap but the pressure of the last few weeks had clearly gotten to him, clearly twisted him and had shown itself.

"I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that"

K Kaine Australis

 

[Caden Evesa]

He would have liked the history books to document that he took the punch like a man.

As far as punches went, Caden had experience. He had been a victim of bullying from a young age in the Jedi temple, he had taken his fair share of blows. He had learnt to take most punches and just shrug them off, continue on with his life with no real impact.

Being punched by Kaine was like being punched by a Star Destroyer. He really wished that the history books showed that he took the punch and remained on his feet, remained up right and laughed it off. He wished they documented how strong he was.

In reality he was on his knees within seconds, coughing and trying to figure out why his lungs had been completely emptied. His next thought was to double check if Kaine had broken anything, feeling around his ribs to ensure everything was in one piece.

He had expected the Mandalorian to put him through his paces, he had expected the physicality and the violence. He hadn't expected the first punch he ever took to nearly cripple him, to take him off of his feet and leave him sucking for air that he couldn't seem to find.

He was thankful when Kaine offered him a hand, pulling him to his feet.

When Kaine told him he could earn his place, he lit up. However, Kaine also left him with a thought. Did he truly want to commit to the life of the Mandalorians, did he want to commit to the fighting and the training and the violence. Did he want to commit to it all?

"How do I earn my place?"

K Kaine Australis

 

[Caden Evesa]

The Mandalorian pointed out the luxuries Caden had.

Kaine pointed out Caden's access to a ship and explained that it was a good transport for those who needed it. He pointed out the lightsaber on his belt, clearly he'd noticed it multiple times. He had very little experience in using it, but he was planning on practicing the skills and form that Damian had taught him.

He listened as the old man spoke about family, joining the Mandalorians as a brother. He spoke about fighting among them, dying for them and expecting the same from them. He spoke about how beyond that it was entirely up to him on what he chose to do.

The young boy spoke Mando'a, he understood Kaine even when he used words that most would have been unsure of.

Caden thought back to his first experience with the Mandalorians. He hadn't been very old, five or six. His father had been in the mines all day and had only recently returned to the surface, to mother. Mother had cooked her favorite stew and the family had all shared a meal.

Honestly the night had been quite normal, quite relaxed at first. It had only gone wrong when the two Beskar clad soldiers had burst in. Caden had later learnt from mother that the armor they wore was known as beskar'gam in the Mandalorian culture.

The duo had been in the house a while. The young boy hadn't been privy to the majority of the conversation, mother had dragged him upstairs to his room and told him to remain. He had heard certain words, some he understood and some he didn't.

From then on he knew to respect the Mandalorians.

He looked at Kaine again, licking the inside of teeth. He wasn't sure what he was going to do next, he had numerous options all running through his each, each with it's own set of strings. He could leave, accept that he was doing the wrong thing.

Instead he dropped to a knee and looked at Kaine.

"I will do whatever you ask"

K Kaine Australis