Private The Vestige

[Cailen Corso]

THE VESTIGE

Location: Aboard the Ember
Tags: Valery Noble
Objevtive: Follow the Force
Soundtrack: Cygnus X1

​

With his eyes closed, Cailen focused intently on the image in his mind: His Kyber crystal, levitating gently before him. It was surrounded by the dismantled pieces of his lightsaber hilt. The crystal slowly revolved as he contemplated, examining the object through the Force. He took careful note of its shape, of its uniqueness in both cut and color. It reminded him of ice, like on Ilum.

Ilum.

A flood of images washed away the visage of his crystal; He saw Jasper falling through the ice, Jem's shoulder and face being maimed by a particle rifle, and the SCAR trooper who nearly took his life. As the boy's thoughts began to wander, his control faltered. He tightened his eyelids, took a deep breath, and told himself to concentrate... but it was too late.

Cailen reached his hands forward preemptively, allowing the crystal and saber components to fall softly into his open palms. He carefully reassembled the hilt as he searched his feelings. The battle on Ilum had certainly impacted the Padawan, but there was something deeper stirring inside him that he couldn't quite pin down; A constant nagging in the Force that at first whispered to him, but now commanded his attention.

He sighed as he clipped the lightsaber to his belt and stepped into the Ember's common area. The off-white lighting and low rumble of the freighter's engines made the young scrapper feel right at home. That, and the presence of his Master ahead in the cockpit.

"Master?" Cailen said as he stepped inside, taking a seat in the co-pilot's chair. Her fiery eyes were monitoring the controls, but he knew she would listen to anything he had to say.

"Can I ask you something?"

 

[Valery Noble]

The Ember

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

Valery's fiery gaze shifted between her instruments and the beauty that was hyperspace. Ever since she was an overly excited young Padawan, she loved space travel. Once for the thrill of flying a little faster than she should, and these days for the time of quiet contemplation it allowed her while being surrounded by a breathtaking view. Out here, she could fall into the Force and set aside everything that would normally distract her.

She could focus and think about the things that mattered. The things that demanded her attention and lately, a lot of things did. From her Padawans to her daughter, to her new boyfriend and the Jedi — she did it all with pleasure, but it was still quite demanding.

Today, she was focusing on a Padawan. One who had gone through incredibly difficult times but still had the strength to keep going. It was something that really solidified why she had chosen him to be her Padawan because perseverance was always a trait she valued greatly. She wasn't entirely sure how well he'd manage with their upcoming trips, but she would be there to support him through everything.

"Master?"​

His voice drew Valery out of her meditative trance, and her eyes quickly shifted away from her instruments to focus on him. She offered a smile and dipper head in response to his question, "Of course, you can always ask me anything," she said sincerely. There was no question that she wouldn't answer.

Well, except for maybe Iris Arani 's recent one...

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Aboard the Ember
Tags: Valery Noble
Objevtive: Follow the Force
Soundtrack: Cygnus X1

"There's... there's something I need to tell you," Cailen said, keeping his eyes low. He thought carefully about his choice of words before continuing.

"You know that my connection to the Force hasn't... it hasn't been the same, since..." he trailed off, hoping Valery would understand without the need to say the painful words aloud.

The death of the boy's former Master, Tarus Undara, was a horror that followed him still. Despite his training, despite all his effort to process and move forward, the grisly scene he witnessed lurked in the shadows.

"When we were in the jungle, on New Cov? I felt something that I couldn't explain. Like something or someone was trying to call for me. I kept it to myself all this time because I wasn't sure if it was real. I didn't know if it was just my mind playing tricks on me, or if there really was something out there."

He took a nervous breath and spoke on.

"And I felt it again on Ilum, when we first arrived. I shook it off, pinned it on the Empire's presence in the caves. But it wasn't the Empire I was sensing."

He met her eyes with confidence, and added, "It's something important, and it's something real. I need your help."

 

[Valery Noble]

The Ember

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"You know that my connection to the Force hasn't... it hasn't been the same, since..."

She nodded quietly, knowing that he wouldn't want to say it out loud again. Ever since Tython, he had felt different and his connection to the Force had noticeably changed. How it all exactly worked, she didn't know and it likely wasn't up to her to understand it better either. All she could do was guide him, so he'd find his way as a student of the Force and either learn to live with the way things were now or discover a way to get through it.

Valery then listened intently to what he had to say and gave him all the time he needed to get it out. What he mentioned got her head to tilt curiously — a call through the Force? It could mean a lot of things, but she had a feeling that it was tied to what happened on Tython. And so only one real question remained.

"Do you know where it's calling you to?" Valery asked. "Is it back to Tython?" Ilum and New Cov had nothing in common, so the most logical reasoning was that he was being called toward the source of where all of this started. But perhaps he had seen visions or felt the Force calling him elsewhere instead.

His answer would determine their next course of action.

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Aboard the Ember
Tags: Valery Noble
Objective: Follow the Force
Soundtrack: Cygnus X1

"Is it back to Tython?"

A small pang rang in Cailen's chest as the word landed on his ears, but it somehow felt right. Hearing it aloud caused something inside to nudge him in that direction.

"I'm not sure. I think so?" the Padawan said quizzically.

He turned to face the mesmerizing slipstream of hyperspace, a reflection of its brilliance glinting in his eyes as he studied the view. Tython felt right, despite the overwhelmingly negative connection he held with the ancient Jedi world. To think that the Force was calling him back was simultaneously relieving and terrifying; He had the reassurance of direction combined with fear of the destination. He wouldn't be alone, though. That much he knew for certain.

Cailen turned back to his Master, hoping she may know how to help him process this feeling.

"Master, how can I be sure that's where the Force is leading me?"

 

[Valery Noble]

The Ember

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"I'm not sure. I think so?"

He wasn't entirely sure, it seemed, but the more time she spent thinking about it, the more sense it made to at least go there and explore the idea. Even if it turned out that it wasn't where the Force was drawing him to, it was still where everything had started, so perhaps it could give them the direction they needed.

"It can be difficult to interpret the Force when it calls to you, but Tython was the cause of all these changes," Valery said while she already began to plot a course to the planet. Currently, it was fairly busy there, as the Alliance worked hard to restore it the best they could. Some scars would likely never be healed, but a great effort was being made to restore it to something beautiful.

"I believe that we might find answers there, even if the source of that call isn't directly there," she went on to explain. "Try to keep yourself open to what it's wanting to show you, and listen carefully. Once we're there, I'm certain that you'll find your answers." She turned in her seat as the ship altered its course, and spent a long moment looking at her Padawan. She could see and feel how much he was struggling, and through her almost motherly smile, she hoped to show him that he wasn't alone in this.

She'd always have his back.

"This might become a difficult trip, Cailen, but trust in yourself and in the Force. It's going to be alright, and I'll be there with you, no matter what happens, alright? We'll figure this out together."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Aboard the Ember
Tags: Valery Noble
Objective: Follow the Force
Soundtrack: Cygnus X1

He watched nervously as she punched in the coordinates, rerouting the Ember's course to the place where it all began.

Or ended, from a certain point of view.

Cailen wondered what Tython was like now. He was evacuated from the surface well before the culmination of the Maw's vile scheme, so he hadn't seen the worst of the scarring. He was sure that even the worst of the Brotherhood's destruction could be remedied, though. Jedi worlds tend to find ways to diffuse Dark Side energies and eventually heal, like a living creature with a wounded extremity.

He hoped that Tython was able to do that. To find peace again.

His Master turned to face him, holding his gaze as she seemed to study him. He watched her as well, his bright hazel-green eyes - strong yet troubled - peering back at her own. He reached gently for her through the Force, hoping she'd sense what was stirring within him. The warm smile she offered told him that she understood.

He let free a soft sigh of relief. She always knew exactly what to do.

"This might become a difficult trip, Cailen, but trust in yourself and in the Force. It's going to be alright, and I'll be there with you, no matter what happens, alright? We'll figure this out together."

The Padawan nodded, thanking her with a gentle smile of his own.

"What do you think we'll find, Master?" he asked Valery with a curious tilt of the head.

 

[Valery Noble]

The Ember

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"What do you think we'll find, Master?"

That was the real question — a call from the Force could mean so many things. From the crystal in the caves to people in desperate need of help. She wanted to throw ideas and theories out there, but she feared that she could give him false hope or obscure the journey even more. So rather than doing that, she offered a faint smile and leaned closer towards him, her hand now outstretching to gently settle on his shoulder.

"I'm not sure, Cailen. The Force is often not so easily interpreted, but whatever it is, we will find it," she assured him with a slight squeeze of his shoulder. Valery then took the moment to look deeper into his eyes, and somehow, her demeanor softened even more. She knew that he needed her, now more than ever, and she wanted him to know that he could rely on her. "Heyy, I know things have been difficult but if you ever feel a need to get something off your chest, you know you can always talk to me, right?" Valery asked with that almost motherly tone.

"I will do whatever I can to help you, no matter what's up."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Aboard the Ember
Tags: Valery Noble
Objective: Follow the Force
Soundtrack: Cygnus X1

"I'm not sure, Cailen. The Force is often not so easily interpreted, but whatever it is, we will find it."

He nodded slightly, part of him already knowing that was the case. It was worth inquiring; Master Noble's strength in the Force left Cailen with few doubts about what she could do. Still, he found great comfort knowing that this was a path he wasn't going down alone.

He'd have his Master by his side.

She held his gaze, her eyes locked on his, but their fiery glow was calm and soothing.

"Hey, I know things have been difficult but if you ever feel a need to get something off your chest, you know you can always talk to me, right?"

"I... yeah, I know that," he said with a hint of guilt in his tone.

His thoughts turned to the recent ambush on Ilum. He wrote an after-action report detailing what he'd seen and done, which Valery had no doubt read herself, but there was one detail he elected to omit from the debriefing. One he never shared with anyone.

It felt right to do so now.

"Master, there is something I need to tell you," he began.

"On Ilum, when Jem and I were attacked, there was a SCAR trooper. She hurt Jem... really badly."

The grisly memory of Jem's face flashed across the boy's mind, causing him to close his eyes reflexively. He pushed it away, trying to remember what happened after she was wounded. She ordered him to retreat through the ice tunnels. They managed to knock the trooper to the ground, buying them enough time to clear the unstable ice tunnel.

The SCAR trooper wasn't as lucky.

"When Jem and I escaped, we ran back through the ice tunnels. We made it to the other side before it collapsed, but there was something I left out of the mission report..."

He gave Valery a shameful look as he built the courage to admit what he'd done.

"The trooper who hurt Jem, the Jedi-killer...? She was trapped in the tunnel when it collapsed. Jem kept running, but I... I just couldn't leave her there like that, beneath the ice. I could sense that she was still alive. I pulled her from the snow and left her so the Imperials could find her."

He watched Valery's eyes carefully, but his own betrayed him as they began to water.

"I couldn't let her die, Master. When she attacked us, I could... I could sense that she didn't want to do it. She didn't want to fight us."

He swallowed hard, wiping his eyes with his wrist before the tears could roll down his cheeks.

"She didn't want to hurt Jem."

 

[Valery Noble]

The Ember

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"Master, there is something I need to tell you,"

It seemed that her offer had helped him open up enough to be willing to talk about something he hadn't shared with her before. She knew that it meant he was going to tell her something difficult, and so she made it very apparent that she was listening intently. Her Padawans were almost like her own kids to her, and very few things could ever break that bond apart. So while he was worried, Valery remained at ease and hoped her warmth connected with him through the Force.

The story that followed was certainly surprising but at no point did Valery show disapproval about what he did. Perhaps he hadn't realized it because of everything that happened that day, but Cailen did exactly what a Jedi should do. Knowing it was still hard on him, though, Valery gently shifted over and wrapped an arm around his shoulders to pull him close. An almost motherly smile then touched her lips, and gently squeezed him.

"Above all else, Jedi honor life, Cailen. We may take lives when we need to protect ourselves or shield others, but when there's a good chance to avoid it, we should always take it," Valery said, her voice calm and soft.

"Despite what she did and the emotions it could provoke, you allowed your senses to guide you and through them, the Force told you who this woman was deep inside, and how she felt about the battle or even the war as a whole. You didn't let the heat of the battle stop you from doing what was right. You saved a life and in that situation, it was absolutely the right thing to do."

"I'm very proud of you, Cailen."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Aboard the Ember
Tags: Valery Noble
Objective: Follow the Force
Soundtrack: Cygnus X1

"I'm very proud of you, Cailen."

He beamed through the tears, the relief he felt visible in his eyes and smile. He leaned into Valery's embrace, where he remained for several moments before pulling back to look at her.

"Thank you, Master," he said softly as he regained his composure. He knew deep down that his actions were just and that any Jedi worth their salt would have opted to save a life rather than end it. Especially when that life may not have ever known true mercy.

"On Ilum, I could feel all sorts of things. They were strange and fragmented, like a comlink when the weather is bad, but I could tell it was the Force. And it told me that it wasn't time for her to die yet."

Cailen sighed, clearly relieved to have opened up about the encounter, but something else was troubling him still. His friend, Jem.

He wondered if she was okay. She was half-Firrerreo, gifted with her people's innate ability to heal at a much faster pace than other species, but the severity of her wounds had haunted Cailen. He watched as the particle beam struck her, rending the flesh from her shoulder and face. She was unrecognizable.

The Padawan pushed those thoughts from his mind, trying instead to focus his attention on the Ember's elaborate controls. He flipped several switches, making necessary adjustments as the freighter approached the Tython system.

Soon, they'd be back where it all began.

 

[Valery Noble]

The Ember

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"While it's sometimes hard to interpret the Force, you listened carefully and made the right call," she assured him again when he talked about what he felt on Ilum. The Force was a special kind of guide, cryptic at times but when followed properly by a Jedi, it could save lives and benefit all. Cailen had shown capable of listening to it when it mattered most, and that was something she valued greatly.

She really was proud of what he had done.

Meanwhile, the Ember had made its jump to hyperspace and soon enough, the Master and Padawan exited the beautiful dimension that allowed faster-than-light travel. Tython appeared in front of them, and it was still so beautiful. Scarred by the battle there, of course, but it was healing and the efforts people had made could be felt even from space. The Darkness that had lingered around the ancient homeworld of the Jedi was fading, and life was starting to flourish once more.

"Alright, try to calm the mind and focus your senses. If the call you felt is drawing you here, try to let it guide you." Valery made sure he had access to ship controls but was able to pilot as well if he needed to focus on his senses. "If you feel only a faint echo, as long as it's pure, we can follow it."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Aboard the Ember
Tags: Valery Noble
Objective: Follow the Force
Soundtrack: Cygnus X1

Cailen couldn't help but wince as the Ember dropped from hyperspace and the glow of slipstream was replaced with the scarred visage of Tython. Even from orbit, the Padawan could see just how viciously the ancient world had been assaulted by the Maw. A hot flash of anger and resentment coursed through his being, a sudden and dark emotional wave that Valery would undoubtedly sense.

"Alright, try to calm the mind and focus your senses. If the call you felt is drawing you here, try to let it guide you."

The Padawan inhaled deeply through his nose, letting the breath rest within his lungs. He gently closed his eyes as he exhaled, clearing his mind as best as he could. He imagined the Mawites dissipating into the wind, like grains of sand on a massive beach floating away in the breeze.

"If you feel only a faint echo, as long as it's pure, we can follow it."

Cailen reached gently through the Force, but he was initially met with the same emptiness he'd been facing for months now: A muted, dissonant hum was all he could sense, as if something were interfering with his connection to the Force. He took another deep breath, exhaled, and tried again.

This time, Cailen felt... something. It was faint, barely recognizable against the discordant Force energy. But the moment he sensed its presence, the Padawan latched onto it firmly. With his eyes still closed, Cailen parted his lips and spoke in a low voice.

"Master..." he said calmly, "there's... there's something here..."

 

[Valery Noble]

The Ember

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

While he focused, Valery remained completely quiet and simply continued the path toward Tython at a slow, steady pace. She knew how much he had been struggling to tap into the Force — she could feel it every time he tried through the bond they shared. But he wasn't one to give up easily, especially not with her support and close friends around him being there for him as well. Together, they'd get through this.

But some things he had to do alone, and understanding this feeling in the Force was one of those things. So as he listened carefully to the tunes of the Force, Valery focused intently on him until...

"Master..." he said calmly, "there's... there's something here..."

Valery nodded and without wasting even a second, she accelerated the Ember down into the planet's atmosphere. A ball of fire erupted around the shielded hull, and soon enough, they were on a safe course just below the clouds, allowing them to see the scarred, but healing surface of the Jedi homeworld.

"Tell me where to land, and we'll go on foot from there. We're close, Cailen," Valery assured him with a warm smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Finally, they were getting closer to solving the problems that had been keeping him down for so long. As his Master, few things could make her happier.

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Aboard the Ember
Tags: Valery Noble
Objective: Follow the Force
Soundtrack: Cygnus X1

The feeling wasn't very strong, and it certainly wasn't clear, but it was something. There was only one thing that troubled the Padawan: Valery said that so long as the presence was pure, they could follow it - but what if it wasn't?

The Padawan could only feel that something was calling to him on Tython, but whether it was for ill or good he could not determine. Cailen kept his eyes closed and maintained his grasp on what he'd felt.

His body gently rocked as the Ember entered Tython's atmosphere and glided over the mountainous vistas and verdant hills. Already, the world felt very different than the last time Cailen was here. Where once he felt a bitter tug-of-war between the Light and Dark side, now he could feel Tython's perseverance. It was muffled, granted, but it felt like seeing a friend after they'd been sick or injured. His lips curled into a gracious smile.

As the ship carried them through the clouds, Cailen could feel the Force ebb and flow. And along with it, the echo's presence became increasingly more profound.

"Master?" Cailen asked, his eyes still tightly shut. "We're getting close. It's getting stronger."

He was tempted to push harder, but he took a deep breath and instead allowed the Force to guide him. His senses were greeted by faint whispers of something his mind had once known but since forgotten.

"It feels... familiar," he said, "but distant at the same time."

 

[Valery Noble]

Tython

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"Good, I'm taking us down in the clearing there," Valery said calmly while watching Cailen put a lot of effort into focusing on his feelings. She was about to say something about it when he took a deep breath and opened himself up to the Force. "Very good, don't force it too much. Keep yourself open and just listen," Valery said with a smile of approval, as their ship slowly began to descend down towards the surface.

The two Jedi ended up inside a large forest, one that had seen intense battle during the attempted destruction of the planet by the Maw. So even though it had been healing as a result of time and restorative programs, echoes of that day still lingered deep within the roots.

Valery could feel them vividly, and her entire demeanor shifted abruptly because of it. Only for a few seconds though, as she quickly regained her composure and turned to Cailen.

"The Force is your guide, and you are mine."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Tython
Tags: Valery Noble
Objective: Follow the Force
Soundtrack: New Senses

He watched Valery with apprehension as she stepped off the Ember, unsure if he was ready to follow suit; The horrible memories that plagued his mind painted Tython as a dangerous world rife with cannibals and cultists. Only after seeing his Master step comfortably into the forest did Cailen chance a step down the ramp himself.

Then another. And another.

Until finally the Padawan found himself at the end of the platform, his hands tightly gripping the landing gear. He had no idea how hard simply setting foot on Tython would be. With a deep breath, he lifted his boot and leaned into the step as if he were walking off a sheer cliff.

He was gently reminded of Tython's sturdiness when his foot was met with the earthen floor of the forest.

Cailen smiled softly, almost pleasantly surprised by the forest's welcoming aura.

Seeing that his Master had walked a bit ahead, Cailen hastened his tiny steps, every crunch of twigs and foliage beneath him easing the tension in his heart. He joined Valery, taking in the beautiful forest surrounding them before looking up to her. For a split second, he thought she seemed troubled, but when her fiery eyes turned to him, her warmth told him not to worry.

"The Force is your guide, and you are mine."

Cailen nodded, observing their surroundings for someplace to start. He blinked as he peered through the trees, his eyes soon resting on a large boulder not far from where Valery had landed the ship. The Padawan pointed to the stone.

"Can we start there?" he asked his Master.

So many thoughts were racing through his mind as they walked. Even with his connection to the Force in its current state, Cailen could feel the energies subtly swirling in the air. He climbed atop the boulder, crossed his legs, and let himself drift into meditation. The Force was quiet, but not silent.

The faint echoes that called to him were more audible now, clearer and more profound. There was no longer any doubt in Cailen's mind that the Force had brought him back to Tython for a reason.

He just needed to let it show him where to go.

 

[Valery Noble]

Tython

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"Can we start there?" Cailen asked Valery in response, and she turned to look at the boulder he was pointing at. She couldn't sense anything from it, but perhaps he simply wanted to use it as a quiet spot for meditation and deepening his focus. "Alright, let's give it a shot," Valery said with a nod before she followed him over to the boulder and watched him climb on top. Once he was seated and closed his eyes, she could feel him drifting away into the Force and remained quiet until she was certain that spoken words would no longer disrupt the process.

"Use your presence or my own as an anchor to tie you to where we are," Valery began to explain, hoping that her words could guide him through his struggles to connect with the Force even just a little bit. This was ultimately his struggle; his fight to push himself through, but she'd always be there to help him however she could.

"Expand from that, and listen carefully to what the Force is trying to tell you. Filter out what may just be a distraction, and you will find your way," Valery said calmly while she continued to study him.

This whole situation was difficult for her because she felt so powerless. But she trusted Cailen, and even with a hampered connection, she knew his determination would allow him to succeed.

It had to.

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Tython
Tags: Valery Noble
Objective: Follow the Force
Soundtrack: New Senses

Anchored atop the boulder, Cailen could sense subtle shifts in the Force. Its currents flowed around him, susurrating his own presence as it swirled. It felt almost as if the Force wanted to reach him as badly as he wanted to reach it.

"Use your presence, or my own, as an anchor to tie you to where we are."

'Where we are...'

The words echoed through his mind in his own voice. Cailen reached for them, letting them guide his meditative state. Suddenly, the darkness behind his eyelids were replaced with a phsyometric burst of memories.

A soldier, running through the forest. It was dark, but it wasn't nighttime. No, there was... smoke? Fire. The trees were on fire. They surrounded the soldier like massive torches as he fled the Mawites. And then pain. Sudden, intense pain. He was stabbed... no, shot. A blaster bolt glanced his torso, singing his flesh. He stumbled, his palm running down the side of the boulder Cailen was sitting upon.

Valery would likely see the intense expression on Cailen's face as he relived the memory, sensing his struggle to maintain control.

"Filter out what may just be a distraction, and you will find your way," Valery's voice instructed.

Cailen was both horrified and intrigued by the visions, but he grasped her guiding words once again and followed them instead. The soldier faded from the Padawan's mind, and once again everything was black.

He pressed on the energies around him, firmly but mindfully inserting his presence deeper into the Force. He was beginning to tire, the effort straining his mind, when suddenly a mote of light appeared on the edge of his perception. It was too far to reach on his own, but it was there, nonetheless. Singing to him, calling him to follow it.

"I... I need your help," Cailen said in a hushed, distant tone, as if he were someplace else entirely.

 

[Valery Noble]

Tython

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"That's it, Cailen," Valery softly to make sure she wouldn't disrupt his focus, but she could feel him falling deeper into the Force. It opened him up to echoes of the past, and while she couldn't see what he was seeing, the intensity in his body language and the way his aura felt to her made it very clear what he was experiencing. Tython had been a calm, peaceful planet for a long time, so any and all turmoil would have to be related to the battle there.

In a strangely fortunate way, it likely made it easier to connect with that darker part of the past.

It was, however, still not easy to control the rush of memories and emotions the past contained. Visions of the future were vague and difficult to interpret, the present was in motion but a little clearer, but the past was filled with emotions and intense clarity of both the good and bad. To sort it all out and focus on the important aspects was a challenge, and Cailen needed some help.

"I can't look for you, but I can help you look," Valery said as she placed a hand on his shoulder, and allowed the Force to flow from her own body to his. It would feel intense for just a moment, but the bond between Master and Padawan hopefully steadied the process, as she tried to help him focus.

"You can do it, Cailen. I'm right here with you."