Public Weltschmerz

[Lief]

She awoke to the shrill melody of a white-breasted vype on the cusp of dawn. Tal was preparing to ease its way above the horizon, a bastion of light and hope which would cascade across the realm, while Phen continued its slumber in the southern hemisphere til the afternoon called it home. She lingered beneath her furs, eyes seeking the slither of sky peeking between the curtains, savouring the peace which accompanied the night. Here only the chirping sebe lingered into the eve, and so far from the chaos of the galaxy there was naught else to keep one awake at night.​

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And even the sebe ceased their calls come midnight.​

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Just a minute more enjoyed, before she pushed back the furs and set her bare feet atop cool wood floors; she stretched, anticipating the cracking of joints in her back which seemed to even now to elude her. Only the shuffling of her feet resounded in the room as she rose up, adding its tune to that of the vype, a relative symphony brewing all about her and heightened only with the additional splashes which accompanied both when she washed her face in a basin of fresh river water and eased the lingering sleep from her body.​

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Soon enough soft linens bathed her body as she tugged on tunic and trousers, a lightweight robe the final piece to her ensemble. Feet remained unburdened for now, causing nary more than a mere pattering as she made her way across the room and rekindled the fire within a stone stove. The crackling of logs and eventual bubbling of boiling water joined the rising cacophony, and she relished in each aspect of her orchestra.​

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She drew in the Force as she inhaled a slow breath, utilizing all that lay around her to begin that morning's meditation. Motion was just as key as breathing for one raised with kinesis for a tongue, and as she opened herself up to her mind and the metaphysical which surrounded all she finally allowed it to resonate outward once more.​

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Somewhere, in the depths of the Galaxy, a slight tremor could be felt by at least two unsuspecting individuals, a pull that had long since been absent. It was not a worrisome sensation, there was no ill surrounding it... Simply serenity.​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Aboard the Vagabond Heavy Patrol Cruiser...

Caedyn Arenais had been walking the corridor leaving the main Hangar of the Cruiser, having just returned from a solo flight when he felt something tug at the edge of his mind, his pace slowing gradually as his attention was diverted from the present and soon found himself reaching out to reconnect with a presence that had long been absent in his life.

"I don't believe it..." he muttered quietly to himself, although that certainly wasn't the case. His Master had disappeared previously before the Je'daii of his time had opted to take to deep space aboard The Silent Fleet in order to escape the tumultuous war that wrought the Galaxy. She had never given Caedyn a reason as to why she had left, why he had lost the one person at the time whom he looked up to the most, however something within himself always felt that for whatever her reasons, they must have been important to her to abandon all she'd known. Indeed, he counted on it. A means to justify his being forced to try to keep communication among the members of the Order in tact for a time, before eventually seeing it fall apart and from there, moving to connect with the Order of the Silver Jedi and his Father on Kashyyyk.

That had been so long ago, what felt like an almost different life...-Except for the fact that he could remember the confusion and the loss of purpose as though it had only been yesterday.

"Gene..." Caedyn spoke into his Comm-link, Captain Whayeson on the other end situated upon the bridge, "Set a new course for the Outer Rim...-There's something I need to do. Have the Endeavor take up border watch until our return".

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How many years had it been now since he had last seen his Master, and would she even recognize the man he had become since then. Lief had taught him the ways of the Je'daii and those traditions had been carried with him, those lessons and memories held close to heart every day that had passed since...-And yet at the same time he had joined the Order of the Silver Jedi and adopted the mantle of Jedi Knight.

Asha's teachings and guidance had molded him, shaped his beliefs and perceptions of the Galaxy at a time where he was most vulnerable. It was an important time of his life and he had always hoped to do justice by her. At the same time, he had gained a Padawan Learner of his own and had to learn how to blend his learnings with those of the Jedi Code and the ideologies encompassed by the Order of the Silver Jedi. Several of which often contradicted one another and forced him to struggle within himself, keeping to what he believed as opposed to what his duty demanded of him.

So many times before today, he could have used his Master's words of wisdom...-It would only be a matter of hours before he would find her situated upon the arm with Weik and Port Mynock, tracking her presence through their connection in the Force, having opened up once more after years of silence.

 

[Lief]

All around the majesty of this little corner of the Galaxy stood in perpetual motion. Trees bent and buckled under the whistling wind, stalwart they remained ever dutiful in the ground - opposing its mighty gusts no matter how hard it beat. Beneath her feet lay softened grass, still lightly wet with morning dew though Phen had finally joined his brother in the sky, and before her a vast mountainscape reached peaks toward the cosmos.​

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A light sheen settled over her skin as she breathed in a burning breath of fresh air and ceased in her motions. She stood upright, longing to remain bent-backed as she fought against an ache in her chest, and brought a shaking hand into her pocket wherein she retrieved a simple, hand-carved bead. Soon enough it found itself among eight other peers within the tangled mess of hair she had never seemed able to fully tame. Each was as beautiful as the last, formed from differing materials which seemed to still come together in unity at the base of three braids.​

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"There is no Ignorance," she breathed, slowly adjusting as the adrenaline began to wane, "There is Knowledge..."​

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She straightened out, brushing the creases from her robes as she surveyed the scene before herself and quietened her mind. A series of Old Republic era droids, grayed with time, lay scattered upon the ground. Motionless. "There is no Fear, there is Power..."​

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One step forward, solitary lightsaber swinging at her hip in the eve of the motion. Well-worn, as old as those which lay ahead of her, a relic of its time. "I am the heart of the Force..." One of the mechanical beings twitched, and the hilt jumped from her belt and into her hand in an instance. Plasma clashed with durasteel plating and sent it clattering back to the ground in two pieces.​

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She stepped over it.​

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"I am the revealing fire of light..." Another step. This time nothing moved. "The mystery of darkness." Nothing. "In balance with chaos and harmony..."​

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Finally she stopped. She turned. Before her, previously at her back, a temple stood. Nature had reclaimed it eons ago, yet beneath the moss and ivy, beneath the toppled stones and tossed up dirt, it rose tall. There were more droids between them, rendered immobile, circuitry sparking.​

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"Immortal in the Force."​

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Slowly but surely the doorway to the temple finished its descent into the ground. With a grinding sound it found its place away from sight, and revealed its contents to the one who stood there. She approached, igniting her blade once more so as to cast a sickly green hue into the blackened abyss.​

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The time had finally come...​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

This day was quickly becoming a journey into the past as Caedyn found himself once more deep into the Southern Regions of the Galactic Map, the Vagabond passing the New Outback in order to reach a point on the grid somewhere between Weik and Port Mynock, the transparisteel wall that made up the head of the observation deck attached to the bridge exposing a great world before them, evidently not yet charted or registered within the vessels database. Of all places, Caedyn had expected to find Lief upon Aurum, yet this was all so typical of his old Master to find solace on a planet not commonly known to civilization and in the farthest pocket of known Space. In the days of their journeying together, she had always held a gift for leading him into the most remote and indistinct locations, finding beauty in the hidden gems of the greater expanse.

Departing the Vagabond, the Jedi Knight took to piloting his Blueshift-Class Assault Starfighter for means of privacy during his visit. With so much time having passed between the pair, Caedyn could imagine all manner of states he might find Asha in. The Force in all it's power and potential, most always found a means of catching him off-guard, much the same way in that he tried to do so for his Padawan Kyra Perl . Though it was less amusing when it happened to himself.

Applying more power to the thrusters of the Fighter once cleared of proximity to the much larger Starship, Caedyn kicked the little bird into overdrive, feeling his back being pressed firmly against his seat as the engines ignited in full and the ship rumbled silently as he shot out ahead of the Vagabond destined for the glowing giant of an orb before him.

To say that the way his day was going was unexpected, was nothing short of underselling it. The closer he was getting to seeing his Master, the more questions and uncertainty came to mind. For so long, he had felt this way after her disappearance and then gradually he had accepted things for the way they were. Now that struggle and crisis of conscience had come hurling back, once more down memory lane where his past seemed to be catching up to pay him a visit. Certainly, after such a duration of sensing nothing of her, Asha must have reached out to establish their connection by her own volition once more...

The Starfighter broke through orbit and into the world's aptmosphere, Caedyn began his descent for the surface following the call of the Force and the growing presence that could only be known as his Masters own. Curiously, there appeared to be no other traffic in the skies and so he was led to believe that the world was uninhabited, also potentially explaining the lack of data attached to it's undisclosed presence on the Navigational Charts.

When the Starfighter did eventually touch down with the surface, Caedyn found himself staring off through the ships canopy at a great structure reminiscent of the old Yavin temple, somewhat different by appearance although not by a great deal and very much overgrown, looking to have been forgotten by what or whoever had once called this world home.

 

[Lief]

Eyes were slow to adjust to the amalgamation of void and scattered light as she crossed the threshold into the temple. All around signs of life and decay lingered; nature had made itself equally at home within as without, crumbling pillars remained aloft held only by vines and centuries old furniture lay about the place. Some toppled, others carefully placed then left untouched.​

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Small rocks dug into the flats of her feet, yet onward she continued. Though the structure had been large there were plenty of places lost to ruin, doorways crumpled in, buried under layers of dirt, wholly inaccessible. It was only natural for her to be led on through a single path, then. No labyrinth here... As though guided by more than just the Force.​

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The central chamber was vast and even her soft footsteps sent echoes to the eaves. A stone kicked here, a pot knocked there, the temple came to life around her in a symphony of her own making and beyond which nothing stirred. Perhaps a nest of spiny krost had made this place their roost, skittering in the shadows; if that were the case they were quieter than she.​

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Drawn further onward she rose the three steps to the heart of the chamber and therein took pause. No more was she urged along, no more did the strands of time and the whims of the Force goad her on. It was here...​

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Yet here was nothing.​

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Beyond the ruins the distinct rumblings of starfighter engines disturbed the relative peace of the realm. She turned, eyes drawn back the way she had come though her feet seemed eager to cement her in place. There were more stirrings in the seconds which followed, a different call throughout the Force which held familiarity. She did not dive deep enough to unearth further truths, she inhaled and exhaled and monitored her breathing.​

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There was nothing... Yet perhaps that was everything.​

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Without looking back she made her way outside, stopping only once she reached the threshold. The sickly green light illuminated her features until she shut off the blade and replaced the hilt to her belt.​

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Imagine her surprise when she realized who stood across from her.​

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The Force truly worked in mysterious ways...​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Hello Master..."​

Caedyn Arenais stood before the entrance to the great Temple as it opened, his eyes set upon the Woman just several years older than himself.

Back when he had first met her, Asha had been eighteen years of age and he thirteen. His Father Veiere had previously met her on Svivren and over a period of time where they had gotten to know one another better, Veiere had eventually decided that her way would be right for Caedyn's upbringing as a Force User. Even despite his parents having previously agreed that they wouldn't push that life upon their children, hence Loreena's lack of training and experience by comparison.

Today however, Caedyn was in his mid twenties and no longer a student being led by another's guidance; Although he had always respected and held dear to Lief 's teachings, he had his own Padawan to think about nowadays, she whom often reminded him of his long-time absent Master with her fiery red hair and her youthful appearance.

Truth be told, Caedyn had no idea what to make of the day's turn. Her presence in the Force had reached out to him, and yet the look of surprise that he met when she realized who it was standing before her suggested that she hadn't meant to call for him as Caedyn had wanted to believe. Things often seemed to go that way for the Jedi Knight.

Taking note of the green blade being deactivated and her hilt returned to her belt, Caedyn lifted his head in a half nod of acknowledgement in the fact that she clearly posed no threat nor felt intimidated by his arrival. The concern that she might have been overcome by a darker force subsiding within him, for all the possibilities that might have explained her leave.

In the last days of the Je'daii Order's service, Caedyn had been caring over the Silent Enclave of Svivren, that which he had since redefined as the Jedi Enclave under the umbrella title of The Jedi Coalition, seven various locations across the Outer Rim that he had pooled resources into in order to bring to date, working facilities for the betterment of the Galaxy's neglected regions.

Despite how much he had grown, and all that he had achieved, nothing however had sated the feeling that he was incomplete. That there was still something he had to do, or some challenge that he had yet to rise to overcome. Deep down, he always found himself expecting more of his time, never being satisfied with his own deeds.

"It's been a long time".

 

[Lief]

"...You came..."​

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Head tilted ever so slightly to the left, she observed him from afar with such intensity that one might expect her to have been peering through his very soul. Picking up on every unique aspect of his face, as though condemning it to memory. He had grown... Far more than she had anticipated. Time was such a fickle beast, days here might have been years elsewhere and she had hardly kept track of either.​

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Just how long had she been gone? The boy before her was now a man grown.​

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She stepped over one of the archaic droids, moving just a handful of steps toward him before pausing. Something seemed wrong. He seemed... displeased? Disappointed? Could she blame him if either were true? She had left without saying goodbye, and though she was one to pride herself on following the whims of the Force over her own desires that didn't mean she was free from the consequences of doing so. Would it have hurt or hindered her quest to reach out before coming to this quiet corner of the Rim?​

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"I fear I have failed you, Apprentice. How long has it been?"​

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Truly she did not know.​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn stood there at a loss within himself. It was one thing to see Lief , another to hear her speak out to him, and to voice a fear that he knew not how to answer. He was after all, still come to terms with the fact that she had called for him at all.

"You called, I answered." he finally responded after what felt like a minute to last a life-time; "It's been just under a decade. Nine years give or take.." he estimated roughly, although so much had happened during those years it was hard to know for certain. He'd been fifteen by his count, last time he could recall them being together...-He was going on twenty-six years now, and yes he had been through it.

"Truth be told, I wasn't certain if I'd see you again" He added, his hands lifting to either side of his waist as though to show that he had no real understanding of what this meeting meant, or how he was supposed to act in light of it. It was as though they'd been together long enough for a door to be opened, and then he was left to walk through it on his own. Never truly a Je'daii, never fully a Jedi despite all that he had done and tried to do in the years since.

"I tried to keep the Order whole after you were gone, but I failed" Caedyn informed her; "I did what I could but I was never you. Before long there was no one left to cater to" the loss of the entire Je'daii Order had left Caedyn with a hole in his life that needed filling. he had tried many times to find his sense of purpose and identity...

"Commenor was attacked by the Sith Empire, occupied for a year or so which led me to the Order of the Silver Jedi" He told her, his voice sounding rather defeated in himself; "That was during the first three years" he added before finally answering her fear with his own sense of guilt, "I try not to think of who failed who anymore...".