Private They are the future [Aris Noble]

[Caedyn Arenais]

​

The Jedi Temple of Coruscant is a peaceful centre within a world busy with millions of people, their concerns, needs, and movements, going about their day-to-day activities.

Where the everyday citizen was concerned more with matters such as getting by on their individual income, choosing what to feed their family and how to manage the expectations of their work colleagues, the Jedi who trained within this vast Temple were exploring the many uncompromising mysteries of the Force, or exerting themselves within training to overcome their physical limits so that they might be prepared for the next conflict that threatens the political climate within the Galaxy. The Jedi were many, yet as an individual, being a Jedi meant dedicating oneself to a path laden with arduous challenges for the greater good.

'The greater good. Those are familiar words,' Caedyn thought to himself with a thin smile as he walked down the corridor of the Jedi Temple towards the nearby meditation chamber that he had booked for the coming session with a young Jedi prospect, one whom the Jedi Master had not met before. His father's words gave him cause to smile at the moment as he rounded the concern and approached the nearby entrance to the open spherical room, the floor lined with cushioned seating in a semi-circle facing the entrance. His dark and well-worn robe followed lightly behind every step the Jedi took, moving to inspect the nearby shelves lined with data files and training equipment. The material of his apparel was frayed in parts, not dirtied yet looking somewhat old as if it had seen a lot in service. Caedyn himself appeared very much the same, not tired or worn down but experienced. His hair held strands of grey in amongst the dark brown, much more since he had last walked these halls, and the concerns of the recent past lined his face.

Today's meeting came by personal request from a well-thought-out colleague, Valery Noble . Despite going off the grid for some time, Caedyn had received a message regarding the pair's children and asked if Caedyn would be interested in meeting them. The first was to be Aris Noble, the son who very much took after his father, Kahlil Noble, if appearances weren't to be deceiving. After some initial delay, Caedyn felt a calling to do so, given the respect he held for the boy's parents. Thus, he returned to Coruscant to walk the halls as if nothing had changed. Although, Plenty had.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Master Arenais."

He'd heard of the meeting ahead of time from Valery. The Arenais family was one of the closest to the Nobles, in part because of Kahlil's own connection to them. It was through Veiere that Kahlil had the chance to become the Jedi he'd become, and Kahlil had always wanted to remain close with the family.

Even if he hadn't been as of late.

A very uncorrupted looking Kahlil stood before Caedyn. The natural green eyes that Kahlil would've had, the imposing height not stunted by the dark. Everything Kahlil could've been if he'd lived a life different from the one of the Sith he had. He smiled softly, dipped his head in greeting before finding a more passive way to carry himself.

"Father speaks highly of you."

Caedyn Arenais

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Ata mārie e te tuakana" Caedyn Arenais greeted the young Jedi in a foreign dialect, smiling and bowing his head lightly in welcome, his heads extending to either side of him in emphasis of the room and Aris Noble 's entrance; "Welcome Aris. It's a pleasure to meet you" Caedyn reiterated in basic; "Yes, I know your Father and Mother both, and I hold them in the highest regard" he confirmed with added appreciation for the boy's parents. "Please, take a seat where you wish. I would like us to come to know each other a little first before we carry forward into the more thrilling nature of Jedi training" he smirked, having been well advised of the boy's love for sparring and the saber arts.

Drawing his robe back behind his waist, Aris would no doubt notice the lengthened Lightsaber Hilt as Caedyn took his seat upon one of the circular cushioned chairs opposite the semi-circle layout, facing Aris. If Aris was perceptive enough, the boy would recognize the intricate build and alternative style compared to the standard form of Lightsabers. It would be easy to wonder the Jedi Master's combat experience based simply upon his choice of weapon.

"Tell me something about yourself, young one" Caedyn invited with a casual wave of his hand towards the boy, "What makes the Jedi life appealing to you, aside from the fact that your parents are Jedi? Why is it important to you as a person? What are your values? your interests and passions?".

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris tilted his head just a little to look at the curious hilt. He didn't want to be rude and stare, but there was a part of him that was vastly curious. A lot of the Force was out of his reach, but the Lightsaber, how a Jedi could fight, would always keep his interest. The questions pulled him right out of that mindset though. They weren't the type he was expecting right away, and yet, he didn't hesitate to answer.

"I want to protect people. Jedi are not the only way to do that, but I believe in the mission they have. When I woke and was brought home by my father, I didn't originally plan on being a Jedi. I wanted to make sure I knew what I wanted to do with my life. But I would be lying if my parents didn't have a part in me wanting to be a Jedi, and a large part of it. They showed me what a Jedi is. Someone caring, willing to do what is right no matter who they might anger in the process. Being confident that they can no matter what might happen. That's what I believe in."

Caedyn Arenais

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

When I woke and was brought home by my father.....

'Interesting choice of words, ' Caedyn thought to himself as he listened to Aris Noble intently, silently wondering if there wasn't more to the birth of the child before him than was typical of the many Caedyn had taught in the past.

A smile broke the placid exterior of the Jedi Master as he sat opposite the boy, satisfied with the Lad's answer. "And you wear your belief well", Caedyn complimented the lad, pleased to see that Aris was confident in his path for such a young age. Or at least, a young age compared to the Jedi before the boy.

It was usually a nervous experience for the youth to meet with new and experienced Jedi; many of the children often felt they were being sized up, and judged for their competency as a prospective Jedi Knight one day. Frankly, there were no right or wrong answers here, only those true to Aris' own heart.

"My Father was raised a Jedi, as you might know well." Caedyn gestured to the boy, Aris having already heard something of the House Arenais, judging by what he had first stated in his greeting. "It is often easy for those of us to see the beauty of Jedi Nature when raised by parents representing such integrity, and in time, your path will come into its own..." Caedyn concluded, not going further to explain what exactly he was getting at with the sentence's conclusion.

"And I hear you're a fan of the Lightsaber Arts" the Jedi Master exclaimed after a brief silence, a hint of amusement in his eyes as he studied the young lad before him; "Pray tell, that is not all that you're eager to engage within the Jedi Cirrciculum?" he would soon ask, curious to learn more of the boys' interests. Realizing the weight of what it meant to carry and utilize a lightsaber, Aris' other strengths would be an asset to such dark and trying times in his future life.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris gave a single nod. There was a lot of weight when having a parent as part of the Jedi. Seeing them as a hero was just what kids did with their parents, and he knew that part of him was influenced by that thought. He wanted to be a hero like his parents. But he wasn't going to do it blindly.

"It's not the only thing I'm interested in, but there's so much I can read on Force applications before I have to focus on what I can put into practice." The limitations he had would always hold him back on the theory of the Force and what it meant. He was not capable of feeling it, after all. Or influencing it outside his own body.

"The classes on diplomacy are nice at least. Though I suppose that's again leaning into another Lightsaber form if you count form zero."

Caedyn Arenais

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn Arenais broke into a gentle chuckle at the mention of Form Zero, leaning back somewhat as his amusement and approval were gladly evident at the remark before nodding in agreement; "Arguably the most important of Lightsaber Forms", he agreed with a grin. "In training, a Jedi must indeed learn the forms of combat, but equally so the motivations to avoid having to put them into effect out in the field of duty. Protecting life also requires us to know the difference between the ability to fight and when fighting is appropriate or otherwise. Every time you do not draw on your lightsaber, you're potentially saving someone else's life, no matter the circumstances surrounding you," Caedyn advised, speaking lightly despite how their conversation had turned.

Caedyn Arenais had been trained as a Jedi Guardian for most of his life following his time with the Je'daii Order. Despite the frequency of combat and his contributions to the war effort that had governed much of his duty as a Jedi Knight, in the recent decade and a half, he had redirected his efforts towards the path of the Consular. Traditional, if nothing else, Caedyn's father had been an old-school Jedi, so it seemed Caedyn had taken after Veiere in this regard....-To an extent.

"The beauty of your parents being Jedi is that you can ask them what they feel their mistakes or shortcomings were along the way, especially in their student years, so that you can be mindful and improve where they might feel they had slipped up or lacked in. Our responsibility as the next generation of Jedi should always be to do better than the last. Without competition," the Jedi Master suggested thoughtfully. Of course, he wasn't speaking ill of Valery Noble or Kahlil Noble , but rather encouraging Aris Noble to think about how he might best learn and later surpass his parents as a Jedi. Something that Caedyn himself felt he had not yet accomplished in comparison to Veiere Arenais, his own Father.

"Tell me..." Caedyn began after a moment of contemplation, "Have you given much thought as to what it might be like to have to use your lightsaber in true form? Out there, on a mission or outside of the Temple walls?" he asked, eying Aris with a studious gaze, curious to see how much the boy had delved into the potential consequences of action and inaction, and what it could mean for him not only as a Jedi, but an individual.

 

[Aris Noble]

"When I was with mom on New Cov I had to use a Lightsaber to defend myself, and others. A madman broke one of the gates to let a flood of creatures they had controlled into the city to kill people." It wasn't a good memory. He and Valery Noble had protected many, but he didn't look back fondly on the event that had cost people their lives.

"I ended up finding him. I knocked him out rather than kill him, even though he was trying to kill so many. It didn't feel right. .. I don't want to kill anyone at all."

Asides from the animals he'd cut down, he hadn't killed anyone. And he didn't want to. Part of him knew it was an inevitability, but he still didn't want to.

Caedyn Arenais

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn's head lifted slowly as he listened to the story of the boy's experience, which provided a positive and respectable outcome, especially for one of such an age. "You feel you did the right thing?" Caedyn posed the question not because he disagreed but to provoke the lad into further reflection; Aris Noble had lived up to his name and acted with nobility.

The truth was that Caedyn enjoyed these sorts of discussions, the ethical considerations to Jedi Duty where they were not encouraged to think and act with a black-and-white lens on the Galaxy around them. "It's an extreme situation to find yourself in, especially for someone your age. A city under threat from these creatures you mentioned. So many lives at stake, including your own and your Mother's," Caedyn surmised, going by what Aris had disclosed.

"No doubt this man will face the consequences for his actions, serve a sentence and perhaps live long enough to be released into the public if that's what the Justice System determines. Perhaps he will learn the error of his ways or carry hate in his heart and want revenge..." Caedyn continued, speaking as he thought aloud. Could Aris see within, Caedyn would be grinning to himself, yet on the outside, he was completely placid, calm and neutral with the discussion and the boy's benefit at the forefront of his mind.

"What of the civilian life? Did anyone get hurt or lose their lives in this attack?" Caedyn enquired further, not with any hidden intent behind the question but out of sheer concern and hope otherwise.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Maybe. It wasn't my choice, whatever happened to him. .. I don't know if anyone was killed. There were people hurt when I found them, but I can't imagine more people didn't die in an attack like that."

It wasn't something he wanted to think about. There wasn't anything he could do to help that, to stop people from dying before he and Valery had gotten there, but it was still upsetting to think that someone might have died.

Caedyn Arenais

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn nodded slowly, acknowledging the younger lad's feelings. "You're right, it wasn't your decision. He was responsible for his actions and the consequences that became of them," the older man confirmed; "Free will is something that all beings have a right to, and it is not something that we, as Jedi, are right to withhold".

"If someone chooses to fight, that is their decision. Their reasons, their motivations, whatever they might be, are not for us to determine whether they are right or wrong. Our responsibility is to ensure that life is respected, whatever world we visit. And if their actions or choices are harming others, disturbing the peace that would otherwise be, then that is where we must act, just as you did" Caedyn encouraged Aris Noble so that the boy would understand his intent. He was trying to get Aris to look deeper, analyse the experience and see if further learning could be acquired from what he had previously been through. There were always opportunities for deeper learning hidden behind the immaterial.

"Right and wrong may not always be so easily distinguishable." Caedyn continued to speak, slowly leaning forward to rest his elbows atop his knees, a small smile playing upon his lips, a cocksided grin as he theorized aloud. All for the boy's benefit. "For example: Not all laws are just, and when laws are made at the expense of others, whether intentional or otherwise, I wonder how we might decide right and wrong?". There was a simple answer that Caedyn was looking for there, an answer that went beyond the comprehension of sentient minds. An answer that, he hoped, would lead the pair onto their next subject.

Aris was still young; thus, Caedyn only cared to spend a little time on the theories of right and wrong, good and evil. He hoped the conversation might motivate Aris to think more about this in the future and be more analytical and critical of his decisions and actions. Still, once again, this was all for higher learning, and the lad had not done anything that Caedyn himself wouldn't have done in the situation that Aris had described.

 

[Aris Noble]

".. I'm not sure. There are thousands of civilizations in the galaxy, and they all have their own laws, their own beliefs. Sometimes it's certainly easy to know when something is just wrong, inequality or abuse, but.. I don't know how to tell the nuanced things apart. I can't say I'd be right just because I'm a Jedi and it might not be something I agree with."

It was ultimately going to be like combat for him. Different view points, different experiences, he was going to need them all if he wanted to keep up and make sure he at least was learning.

"Is there a trick to it, Master Arenais?"

Caedyn Arenais

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Good question," Caedyn smiled and answered, gazing at the entrance momentarily. Nothing was there, but the Jedi Master appeared thoughtful, almost as if provoked by something unseen.

"...No doubt your parents have spoken of the Force; if not, you've attended classes on it already. It's easy to get lost in the limitless possibilities of the subject, but at the end of the day, the Force creates life. And life strengthens the Force. Above all else, it is our responsibility to serve the Force, thereby protecting life," Caedyn answered, speaking slowly and clearly for this to sink in for the young lad.

"As you grow older, you will understand more about the Force's complexities, but this example will suffice for now." He waved a hand almost dismissively, not wanting to cloud the boy's mind with sentiments he might not comprehend or understand.

"When a Jedi is sent to intervene in an incident or under particular mission parameters, life is usually at stake. Perhaps it's not identifiable at first; it could be a diplomatic mission between arguing nations, but the result of failure could mean war for these nations, thereby threatening life." Caedyn provided another loose example.

"Much of the time, you will have to use your best judgement and the knowledge that you have been taught in your lessons. I have found, personally however, that if you are taking steps to protect life and empower the rights of others, then most often you are doing right by society and serving the Force adequately".

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

"Vera has her visions. They can help her know what the will of the Force is, even if they're confusing or unclear. I can't feel the Force, though. And I don't mean it's something I'm struggling to understand or feel directly. Because of how I was made, I will never be able to feel it." He could use it, some. To strengthen his body, feel danger as an almost sixth sense. He could even heat his body to quite the temperature if he needed to.

But that was it. It was a reality he'd accepted, and he wasn't using it as an excuse now. He didn't even look disappointed or sad. He was simply stating the facts of his limitations as a Jedi.

"I can read a lot, and I have. And I will continue to do so. But I don't think I'm going to be able to understand it like you or the others do."

Caedyn Arenais