Conversations Beyond The Material Realm

[Lief]

For several hours now, Asha had been sat within her cabin on Cotan's ship in deep meditation. Silence lay all around, Cotan and Rhia off out visiting whichever planet they had arrived at, and down by her feet Azrael slept without sound.

She could sense him, that Apprentice of hers, who lay beyond the stars, on some far off world. Asha had Sargon to thank for that, his lessons still rang true to this day and though her mind was free from such thoughts she missed their journeys through the Universe together. All without ever leaving the comfort of their homes.

Asha was trying to do more than simply look, as she usually did when flow-walking. It was not the past, or the future, that she looked to, but the present. Something happening at that exact moment in time, light years away.

He was there, presence strong yet image blurred within her minds eye. How many times had she attempted this? How many times since leaving Aurum had she tried to reach out and contact him? She let out a soft sigh, and opened herself up more so to the Force. Allowed it to flow freely through her. Allowed it to take control.

Her eyes opened of their own accord, and what she saw before her eyes was her room. Yet, within said room, was another. Not one who resided upon the ship, not even one who had seen the inside of the ship.

It was Caedyn.

Her Apprentice stood there in all his glory, seemingly busy with some sort of task. She could not tell if she was seeing what was actually happening, or if her mind was making things up, so she decided to put it to the test.

"Caedyn?" she queried, trying to see if she could get a response out of him, "Caedyn, can you hear me?"

It was a long shot... but one worth taking.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn Arenais stood within his newest technological marvel, the UT-60D U-Wing Gunship designated by the boy himself, "The Peace Keeper". It was a Starfighter unlike all other Fighter's he had piloted, fairly larger than his X-Wing yet just as capable if not more so within hostile zones. Being an heir to the Royal Family of Commenor, House Arenais had seen to Caedyn's coming into quite an extravagant deal of wealth over the years. While his Mother over-saw this seemingly limitless supply of Credits so that the boy didn't go crazy and blow it all on stuff he didn't need, she too never held him back from a project when it favored him best. "The Peace Keeper" had become such a project and having bought the U-Wing standard off of the Trade Market, both Caedyn and a hired engineering crew had gone about the installation of certain modifications and means of making her feel just that little bit more like home for the lad. Something that made the U-Wing more personal to him.

As he wandered on into the cockpit, Caedyn was met with the voice of his Droid Lexas; "Greetings Caedyn. You will be pleased to know that the last of the Modifications were installed earlier this morning. The engineers here on Kashyyyk are quite thorough, I must say!".

Caedyn had brought the U-Wing and his droid co-pilot to Kashyyyk following the Invasion and Siege of Commenor at the hands of the Sith Empire; There were truly few places in the Galaxy where he and his family could claim to be safe, but as part of the Silver Jedi Order now, Caedyn had a wealth of protection and support upon the Order's capital world that, for the time being, comforted him enough to stay in one place for more than a week at a time. "Yeah well...-From what I've heard the Silver Jedi have a pretty crazy Fleet, themselves. Guess it doesn't surprise me really that their Tech Engineers don't muck around" Caedyn replied, his voice was lacking of enthusiasm and made the subtle compliment mediocre at best. "Why don't you go and recharge for a bit Lexas. I'm going to chill in here for a bit, try to busy myself with a bit of quiet time" Caedyn suggested rather promptly, to which the droid would acknowledge as a polite instruction and complied swiftly.

"Do take care, Master Caedyn" Lexas urged the boy as he made for the corridor and disappeared out of sight. Caedyn nodded a little absently, moving to fall into the comfort of the pilots chair, leaning back and lifting his gaze to the roof as he exhaled slow and long under his breath in sighing fashion. So much had been going on lately, he felt tired. Exhausted really. So much so that when he heard his Master's voice speaking to him, Caedyn had to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep in his chair.

"Asha?!" He blinked a couple times, moving to stand from his seat and look at the vision of her aboard his ship. She looked every bit real and yet there was no way [member="Asha Hex"] had been on Kashyyyk at the time, Caedyn would've felt her presence far sooner, not to mention she'd not have made a secret of it. "How are you here right now?...".

 

[Lief]

Nor only did it seem as though he could hear her, from the way he looked directly at her - with a look of familiarity in his eyes - she deduced that he too could see her.

The Force was a marvelous thing, it worked in mysterious ways, yet she had never expected that. It was a testament to the bond of Master and Apprentice, she decided, in truth Asha had only really been trying to broker a connection with him.

But to see him, not just communicate?

Her whole face lit up.

"I am where I am, and you are where you are, yet the Force has formed a bridge which spans the Galaxy. Are you flying right now?"

She noticed the telltale signs of a cockpit around him, and tilted her head softly to one side. "This can wait, if you are busy, Apprentice..."

Whether or not she'd be able to pull this off again remained to be seen, but she wasn't about to risk his wellbeing by distracting him when he was in the pilots seat just to test a theory.

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn blinked a little, somewhat uncertain as to why [member="Asha Hex"] would open such a connection only to change her mind. It was a blind moment of confusion however and didn't take him very long to glance around his surroundings and realize that she could see where he was. "Oh ah...-No, Master. Not at all!" Caedyn offered a slim smile, "I'm just working on a new Starship I've bought. I've got some people modifying her to make it a bit more original and not like every other U-Wing out there.." He scratched the back of his head a little nervously, the project of his was quite...Large and perhaps a little unrealistic for most people his age, but Caedyn had the Credits and given all the horrible things he'd had to experience lately; He'd easily justified the purchase as a means of distracting himself from how terrible he really felt about life and pretty much everything within it.

"I'm back on Kashyyyk at the moment, actually...-So, you're not bothering me at all" he reiterated, hoping that they wouldn't lose this connection so early on when he could really use a bit of his Masters company. "How are you doing this though...-This isn't just telepathy is it? I can see you...-It's like you're really here on my ship" He questioned the process again, not understanding nor even heard of something like this being done. Telepathic communication he knew could pass words from one consciousness to another, even image's of memories or emotions shared through empathic telepathy but this was in an entirely different league...

 

[Lief]

Asha could not help but wonder what was wrong with flying a traditional U-Wing, though she did not bother to voice her question and instead gave a small nod. The area around him was partially visible through the bond, though it was fleeting. Almost like a hologram. Caedyn, however, was perfectly visible. And no doubt the same could be said of the reverse, with Asha looking as though she was right there, yet her surroundings themselves being blurred and disoriented.

"I'm glad I'm not distracting you when you're flying."

Moving slowly from her seated position, the woman was attempting to truly push the boundaries of what was transpiring between them. Motion, apparently, did not disturb the metaphysical feed in any way, he did not waver, or disappear, she could continue to hear the steady hum of electricity pulsing through his ship, it was strange.

Fascinating.

Fantastic.

"I am not entirely certain how this was done; I asked it of the Force, I have meditated on it for days, and gave myself over to it this day. It seems as though it finally answered, does it not? It is strange, I must admit, meditating could not extract this response from the Force, yet walking does not hinder it at all. How can that be? This is not taking much of my brain power at all."

Stroking her cheek as she pondered on the impossibility of it all, she glanced over her student.

"Perhaps it is the bond that is shared between us, Apprentice. Maybe that is what is allowing this to transpire."

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"You just...Asked it of the Force?" Caedyn chuckled quietly to himself as he stared back into the abyss and saw only his Master staring back at him. [member="Asha Hex"] was a prodigy of the Force, capable of things he had never even thought possible at the mere age of eighteen; "I wouldn't have a clue Master, how you do these things, honestly".

When she mentioned the connection between them, Caedyn grinned to himself, slowly seating himself in the pilots seat, turning it so that he might keep looking her way. If that was even how this worked, would she see him facing her no matter what or could they physically walk away from one another?

"That's a good thing I hope" he replied both curious and thoughtful, "Means we're close, right" He spoke as it were more of a statement than a question, rhetorical though it held sentimental meaning between them both. Caedyn had always been intrigued by Asha's connection to the Force, her abilities seemed far beyond her means on the outside but getting to know her personally had led him to become fascinated by the Force, it so much greater than he had ever imagined as a boy back on Commenor, back when the Galaxy seemed unending with no competition. The Power of the Force was so much more vast.

"If you don't mind me asking, Asha" he called her by her first name, something she had always encouraged yet he had hesitated in doing. There was pride in calling her by the title and position she held over his life. "Who taught you these things?...-I've never known you to have a Master of your own".

 

[Lief]

Asha could not help but loosely shrug at Caedyn's confused question and accompanying chuckle, it wasn't as though she knew the answers herself; this was simply the way things had always been for her, a deep connection to the Force had been established from a very young age, encouraged by a doting father and bolstered by her intuitive approach to learning. It had never seemed like something out of the ordinary for her, she was led by the Force, controlled by its whims, she learned what it brought to her doorstep, guided through the motions most required a Master for. Natural to her. Too natural.

"The bond between Master and Apprentice is strong," she informed him, though that was no great secret, "It is not unheard of for it to be so well developed that some are capable of communicating over long distances. Admittedly, that tends to be telepathically or sensory in nature... I would have to research to find examples of this... Force Projection."

When the boy posed his question, she let out a soft sigh. That he had used her name meant that he was serious about it, it was all too rare that he strayed from their titles. She chewed the inside of her lip for a moment, before finally meeting his gaze.

"It's true, I have never had a Master. Sargon showed me a trick or two, once upon a time, but everything else? Everything else the Force led me to discover. I have been learning from it since I was first able to walk and talk, which probably helped. There's no hesitation or uncertainty at such an age, no room for doubt, it's much too... Intuitive. Natural."

Did it make sense? Well, Asha did not know for sure.

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

For as close as Caedyn felt to [member="Asha Hex"], a thought occurred to him in that moment that he didn't really know that much about her family or who she even considered to be her close friends, if she had any. He did of course recall her mentioning his Father for whom she had held a deep respect for, yet that didn't exactly tell him much other than categorize her in a sense, to be in the same league as other such experienced Force Users like Veiere; Or atleast, to Caedyn's understanding.

"Was Sargon your Father?" He asked rather innocently, "We've never really talked about your Family before, Master" he pointed out. It had never bothered him, quite the contrary, he had never thought to ask in all their time spent together. Their focus in life had always been of the Force and the Je'daii Order. "I guess you spend a lot of your time on your own..." He thought to point out afterwards as if to explain his sudden questioning.

Some days he felt guilty for choosing to remain with the Silver Jedi since she had come back into his life; Caedyn had feared the loss of his Master would be permanent and with Commenor being under Blockade of the Sith Empire, he'd gone to the only reliable place he knew Force Users to practice and dedicate themselves to helping others. It had been an easy decision having met [member="Asaraa Vaashe"], yet now with such a physical distance between he and his Master, often times it seemed like a selfish decision to remain so far away.

 

[Lief]

"Sargon?" Asha smiled to that, gently shaking her head, "Force, no. Master Jericho is my father, Caedyn. Sargon is just a dear friend."

It only really occurred to her then that Caedyn had not really met many of the other faces that had been apart of the Je'daii Order. Which was a shame, especially considering that some... Well... Some were not exactly with them anymore.

Thoughts of Jyn flashed through her mind then, and a pained sensation flickered within their connection. She steeled her expression almost as immediately, though, and let out a small sigh.

"I don't have any other family, beside my father. I guess I have an Uncle in Thurion, in some way, but I've only met him once. It was always just my father and I."

It was true, Asha had spent a lot of her life alone. It was something which no longer bothered her, though, she enjoyed the solitude it provided.

"How have you been, Caedyn? I hope the Jedi are treating you well..."

One day she'd have to have words with him about that choice, but at the end of the day it was his decision, she supposed; didn't mean she had to approve of it, or enjoy it.

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Master Jericho..."

Caedyn repeated to himself in a gentle whisper, trying to keep the name locked down in case he were to meet this man in the near future. Judging from the past experience, it mightn't be likely though these were people important to her, like this Sargon person too. A dear friend? Was that like a partner or just a friend? Caedyn was going through that stage of life himself, exploring his more romantic or intimate interests.

"I have a lot of family I haven't really met or gotten close to but Mom knows lots of people that her and Dad seem to think are our family, sorta" Caedyn shrugged a little out of indifference, many of these people, mandalorians for example didn't hold a great deal of meaning to him as he'd had little to do with them and unbeknownst to him, his Father was the same; Yet [member="Lady Kay"] and [member="Loreena Arenais"] held far closer attachments to Clan Raxis and Clan Australis that they were unavoidable to mention as part of their social circle.

As for how he had been, the Sith Empire remained within Systems Alliance space slowly cutting off the blood flow to the Government situated out of his home-world, the government that his Mother was the head of. "I haven't had too much time with them really...-I mean I'm here now but I'm on my own just working on the Ship. I met a couple when I first got here but most of them just sort of leave me alone. I've not attended any of their lessons yet...-It's a little strange but I have a friend here at-least that I've met before on Commenor. She's sort of the reason I knew I could come here when I needed to...", in truth he had yet to build up or form any great attachment to Kashyyyk, not like he held with Commenor or Svivren but [member="Asaraa Vaashe"] had been really kind to him, and though his Master had returned, the thought of just up and leaving the Jedi seemed a bit unfair.

[member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Lief]

"I don't think you've ever met him," she said, thoughtfully, "Though he is the Steward of Stav Kesh, and a former Jedi himself." Former? Current? What her Father was wasn't exactly well known to Asha these days; she knew he had started out as such, but had found the way of the Je'daii upon his Master's death, in hopes of better honoring her. She had been a closeted Je'daii, after all, something only one of her students - Jericho - had ever unearthed while she was still alive.

"I'm glad that you have found a friend in the Silvers," she said, with full sincerity, "I cannot say I enjoy the distance between us at present, but if such is the will of the Force then who am I to question it?" Hopefully in time they would come together once more, as Master and Apprentice rather than Mentor and Student. Asha needed to refind her own stability first, though, she doubted Cotan would appreciate another body on an already full ship. No, this would work for now.

"I have to say that I'm surprised this connection worked out so well. I can feel it beginning to waver, but we should certainly try again soon. Keep yourself safe out there, Caedyn, and if you need anything - anything at all - throw me a line. I'll always be here for you, Apprentice, you know that, right?"

[member="Caedyn Arenais"]

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"It's not been exactly what I've wanted either, Master..." Caedyn replied to [member="Asha Hex"]'s discontent surrounding the distance and circumstance between them. "There's gonna be something happening back home soon though that will mean I'll be a little closer to you. After I've helped Mom out a bit, I'll come back to Aurum and see you so we can spend more time together. I do miss training with you" he offered something of a weak smile.

He didn't go into any details of course about the coming plans that [member="Lady Kay"] had put into place against the blockade surrounding Commenori Space. Caedyn of course was keeping communication open with people back home and he'd made sure that he'd be included in everything they were planning to do in order to discourage the Sith Empire from bleeding their worlds dry of supplies and economy. Telling his Master however would only give her reason to worry about him more, when as of late, she'd been through enough and they'd really only reconnected through what Caedyn had picked up on, was a portion of guilt felt on Asha's behalf. He didn't want to make her feel any worse by informing her of a likely fight that he knew the Je'daii Order would not condone.

"I know you will..." Caedyn answered her assurance, as though she were countering the words he wasn't telling her. A slight pang of guilt touched the edge of his mind as he now felt as though he were hiding something from her. In his mind it was for the best though he too understood that if he were ever in danger, like she just told him, she'd be there for him and want to be so. "You're one of my best friends you know..." He added, hoping to reassure Asha and perhaps try to alleviate some of his guilt by emphasizing how much she meant to him, "I know Dad asked you to train me and stuff but...-I'm really glad you agreed to it. I know you didn't have to but...Yeah" he chuckled a little awkwardly, not often speaking so openly nor forward with regards to his feelings.

"See you soon, I guess..." He offered something of a meak wave, not quite knowing how to end a call or communication like this compared to the way you could just turn off a comm-link. His Master had more or less suggested it was time to return to their lives and present conditions, but the image and vision wouldn't fade until her control over the Force and their connection allowed it to do so.