Private Midvinter Meetings

[Caedyn Arenais]

CAEDYN ARENAIS​

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Location: Midvinter, Norvegr-fen Outskirts.
Tagging: Boo Heavenshield.
Attire: Jedi Apparel.

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Caedyn Arenais had not been to Midvinter for some time now. Not since Master Thurion Heavenshield had invited him to visit and taught the Jedi Knight how to commune with his Father who had returned to the Force. This time, he was meeting with Boo Heavenshield. The two had shared some correspondence via the Holonet, static written transmissions on the subject of Force philosophy. Caedyn had been reaching out to several Force Practitioners from a variety of Orders and Faiths, seeking to further his understanding and knowledge of the Force itself. He believed that in coming to understand the perspectives and ideologies of others, he might further shape his own worldviews and perhaps even his connection to the Force.

Setting The Repertoire down upon the outskirts of Norvegr-fen, Caedyn forwarded his coordinates on to Boo's private frequency, letting him know of Caedyn's arrival. Lexas, the droid co-pilot who had been with Cae for quite several years now would remain in the cockpit and ensure the vessel was prepared and ready to go should they so need; However, Caedyn hoped that his visit to Midvinter wouldn't be a short one. It was a beautiful world with a culture and atmosphere totally unlike Coruscant. Midvinter was humble in its level of technology, and the people were honourable. They carried tradition at the heart of all they did and were stronger for it. Yes, it was truly an admirable place to be.

Leaving the Repertoire, Caedyn wrapped his dark blue cloak around his shoulders as he made his way towards the nearby settlement. It was too large to be called a village yet well-established and strong in number. Then again, the Jedi Knight had only visited once before and held little knowledge of Midvinters other cities to truly compare it to. It wouldn't be long of a hike before he reached the Valkyre settlement.

 

[Boo Heavenshield]

N O R V E G R - F E N
Northmark Hold, Midvinter

[ post theme ]​

Three Years Earlier

Did you ever have a moment where you thought, I am too old for this?​

​

Pitching himself into a leap of faith, the bloodied Pantoran felt a rush of air as a blade only narrowly missed him as he managed to jump over the attack. His arm outstretched, the violet-haired knight reached for a lightsaber that lay on the ground.​

​

The handle flew into the air to meet his reach, as the blue-skinned man tucked into the landing, rolling up to his feet.​

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He threw the lightsaber away. Tossed to the woman who was fighting beside him.​

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As he turned, he heard the snap-hiss of the weapon activating and knew it had reached her. It was a comfort that brought some measure of peace to his mind, as he closed his eyes at the strange creatures attacking them. These weren't Vinterbound. They weren't anything that Boo could recall experiencing before.​

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No, that wasn't quite right. Something about them reminded him of a time when he'd been a boy...​

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Opening his eyes, the Pantoran opened his mouth and unleashed a shout with the Force. The creatures staggered backward, even as the Pantoran sank down to one knee as a weariness began to seep into his bones.​

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A blue light flashed overhead, as an Aelvar shield-maiden gracefully danced with the blade before him. Their enemies seemed to fall away, creating a circle of peace as she held them at bay.​

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A hand outstretched, waiting to lift him up. As he peered upward, he looked up into warmth, and kindness, and love as she looked down and said, "Come on. We're not done yet."​

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Those had been the last words his wife had said to him.​

Present Day

The firewood split apart on the chopping block.​

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They had company coming. A Commenori, if he remembered correctly. Caedyn Arenais was likely to find Midvinter to be a bit cold for his tastes, so the Pantoran had gone out to get a bit more wood to put on the fire.​

​

Being from Coruscant himself, he knew only too well just how rustic life on Midvinter could appear to galactic natives. That was part of its charm. Part of what made it the sort of special place that it was in the galaxy.​

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The black, snake-like staff that had split the wood came alive, as the vongformed serpent slithered up his arm. Kissing the head of the amphistaff, the man bent down to return it to the wild. Then he gathered up the wood to bring it in, set it by the fire that would hopefully warm the hearth enough to make their guest more comfortable.​

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On the road into town, Caedyn would encounter a most curious imp. A boy of around eight or nine years of age. He looked Pantoran. With blue skin and violet hair on a world so famous for its blond and blue-eyed Valkyri, it would be easy to say that the boy resembled his father. But the resemblance, like beauty, was just skin deep. Elvish ears and almond-shaped, warm gray eyes mirrored those of his mother.​

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A vine-like snake or snake-like vine encircled the child, as a juvenile amphistaff seemed to slither around the boy in a manner that suggested both curiosity and protectiveness. After all, the boy was of Boo. And the amphistaff of Midvinter were of Azi.​

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"Hi!" the boy greeted the stranger. After all, they didn't get many travelers in Norvegr-Fen. "Are you the Jedi?" the child asked, though he didn't give Caedyn a chance to respond before he continued, "My dad said there's a Jedi coming to visit. I'm 'sposed to be his guide."​

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As the pair traveled toward Boo's home, the boy asked, "Have you come from outer space?"​

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Again, there wasn't much -- if any -- chance to respond before the boy jumped to the next question in his head. "Have you been in many battles?"​

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It would be like that along the way. One question prompted three or four more, until they arrived at the Pantoran's home.​

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"I think Mister Arenais came to ask the questions," the wearied warrior remarked wryly, as he met the pair at the door to the home. Offering the Commenori a hand, the Pantoran then turned and kissed the boy on the head. "Go play," he uttered softly, shooing the imp off.​

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Then, motioning further in, looked back at Caedyn and said, "Welcome to Midvinter."​

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Stepping further inside, the Pantoran motioned toward a chair.​

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"Can I get you anything?"​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

The Jedi Knight walked through the snow, keeping his arms crossed tight over his chest, hands gripping either elbow, and seeking to keep his cloak around him tightly as the cold wind battled against the fabric of his Jedi apparel. The coldness of the air threatened to sting at the eyes, thus he kept his gaze down as he walked against the icey breeze on his way towards the village settlement. It wasn't until he was greeted by the appearance of a young child, that caused the Jedi Knight to lift his eyes from the thick snow to look upon the boy with a curious gaze and a welcome smile.

"I a-...." He was about to confirm his status as a Jedi and introduce himself, however, the younger one seemed to talk at a pace too great for the Jedi Knight to get a word in. Instead, he chuckled quietly to himself as the boy started to lead him on towards the nearby village, speaking enough for the pair of them while Caedyn took notice of the snake-like creature weaving around the youth. It was a curious thing, a life-form judging by that which his sensory connection to the Force foretold, yet unlike anything he had seen before. Caedyn didn't enquire about it however, not that he would have been given the chance, but also so not to appear rude and intruding on the business that was not his to question. Instead, they continued to walk, and the boy talk, until they would reach their destination.

"I think Mister Arenais came to ask the questions, Welcome to Midvinter. Can I get you anything?"

Caedyn Arenais bowed his head in a respectful greeting and soon looked to the child with a friendly wink of his left eye before the boy would run off to play and have fun. Such youth, so carefree, it was so refreshing and positive to behold.

"Thank you for your invitation, I have only visited Midvinter once before. It is most gracious of you to invite me to your homestead" Caedyn spoke his appreciation and thanks to the man who had welcomed him formally; "My name is Caedyn, yes. Forgive me for my confusion but was that Boo Heavenshield?" Caedyn pointed in the direction of the younger boy in his inquiry. He had thought it was Boo that he would be meeting with, and while the child fit the description, he had appeared younger and more jovial than an experienced Master of the Force, that which Caedyn had assumed he would meet on Midvinter.

"I was hoping to meet with someone who could help me obtain further wisdom in the Force" he explained honestly and openly. It might seem strange for a Jedi to seek wisdom from outside of the Order, yet in Caedyn's perspective, wisdom could be found in the most unexpected of places and it was his privilege to seek it out, to expand his worldviews and understanding of life that encircled them all.

 

[Boo Heavenshield]

The Pantoran gave a wry smile.

"That is Theo Heavenshield," he offered, with a nod toward the direction that the boy had run off.

"As for me, I've had many names," the man remarked cryptically, before he dropped down into a seat by the fire and added, "But my friends call me Boo."

"I was hoping to meet with someone who could help me obtain further wisdom in the Force"

The man reached a hand up, fingers pulling at the scraggly beard that cast a violet shadow along his face. After a moment, he answered, "I'm sure the Jedi would have any number of beautiful, poetic rhetoric to answer such a statement of purpose."

It seemed Caedyn Arenais was a Seeker. There were those who believed that there was no more noble effort than one's own enlightenment. But the Pantoran was a skeptic.

After all, what purpose did knowledge for knowledge's sake serve? To what end did enlightenment achieve? Certainly, concepts such as wisdom were touted as positive qualities, but Boo would eschew that for practicality. "As for me, I've more or less come to believe that the Force is beyond any attempt we might make to quantify or qualify it," the man offered bluntly.

As if to illustrate his point, the man offered a series of contrasts, "The Sith try to manipulate it. The Jedi try to understand it. The Je'daii try to balance it. And not even the Clans of Dathomir can agree on just what the Witches try to do with it. But each claims to have the right of it." With a shrug, the blue-skinned knight concluded, "In the end, its often more about who we are than it is a question of what the Force is."

With that in mind, the man asked the most basic, and yet most difficult question.

"So, who are you?"

No, he wasn't asking his name again. To reinforce that fact, the Pantoran clarified with a follow-up to the rhetorical, "What is the Force to you?"

Caedyn Arenais ​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"I trained as a Je'daii Padawan, became a Journeyer and when they disbanded, I joined the Order of the Silver Jedi" Caedyn answered Boo Heavenshield. The Pantoran spoke well, all of which was true from Caedyn's perspective as well. "I don't believe any one group holds all the answers, nor has any right to the Force over the other. I believe the Force shapes and guides us, it is bigger than any of us and it's our misconceptions that make us different, not our perception of a "single right way" of practice or dedication to the Force" Caedyn spoke his mind on the matter, as he often did, echoing the words as they came to mind, wearing his heart on his sleeve.

"While I am with the Jedi, I don't believe we have the right to judge others for their beliefs. The Force created us, it binds all life, natural and sentient. We are no less significant to the Force than the trees that create oxygen for us to breathe. To my mind, the Force is both a spiritual presence as well as a representation of the cycle of natural life. I believe we all have a calling, a purpose; and often our pride can lead us to misunderstand that which the Force is trying to guide us in".

"Despite being forty years of age and having dedicated the majority of my life to training, carrying both the teachings of the Je'daii and Jedi Order, I still try to humble myself. I know that my ability and knowledge of the Force is still so minute compared to how limitless we perceive the Force to actually be" Caedyn expressed, speaking honestly. He was one man, in a Galaxy of countless trillions. In his mind, he knew that his life-time wasn't nearly enough to truly come to grasp the complex nature of the Force with full clarity.

"However, I do wish to better listen and understand the will of the Force, and what it means for me to serve. How to do so better than I have thus far" Caedyn added, pausing for a time to consider his feelings and what drove him to follow this change of direction in his path; "I wish to better honor the Force. The Jedi consider themselves to be peace-keepers and yet we are so involved in wars and conflict. I went from being a pacifist in my younger years, to having had taken so many lives in the name of prospective peace. A complete contradiction of itself" he frowned as he concluded, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his attention back towards the direction in which Theo Heavenshield had wandered; "Sending Padawan out at such a young age, seemingly eager to fight. It frustrates me. The Force lives and breathes through life, and yet we are equal parties to the murder of others, which in turn wounds the Force. It is a mockery, and one that I have been a part of".

 

[Boo Heavenshield]

The Pantoran listened as the man told his story.

"It seems we arrived at the same Jedi Order from different paths," Boo remarked finally, when it seemed the conversation had arrived at a natural break.

"I was born in the One Sith Empire, a slave," he remarked, in a matter-of-fact tone. "Nearly died when the Galactic Alliance bombed Coruscant to freedom. But, as fate would have it, my master did die," the blue-skinned man supplied, his choice of words no doubt betraying some very mixed feelings regarding the Invasion of Coruscant and the manner in which the Alliance had delivered the people from the Sith.

"A doctor rescued me, saved my life, and took me to Dosuum where, I believe, she genuinely felt that we'd be safe," Boo remarked, segwaying into the second part of the tale. "Dosuum, of course, was the capital of the First Order."

Doubtless, the Commenori could already envision where this story was going. "The Knights of Ren used the Junior Imperial Academy to identify younglings that were Force Sensitive, convinced my guardian and me that the other had died, and used my grief and confusion to turn me into what they wanted me to be."

Made for a hell of a training program. "I was thirteen when I earned the name Chiyo Ren," the Pantoran explained. "I carried out the murder of a Silver Jedi by the name of Assak Tey. From then on, it was one mission after the next. Different planet, same situation. Assassination, espionage. Eventually, I was sent to infiltrate the Silver Jedi. Be another padawan in the crowd, they imagined."

He let that be the end of it. "When I finally reached my limit, I surrendered myself to Thurion Heavenshield and somehow wound up becoming the padawan learner to his son," Boo supplied, as best he could describe a sequence of events that still didn't make sense to him.

If it had been the plot of a book or holo-vid, he'd have said that would never happen.

"He adopted me and I've been with the Silver Jedi ever since," the Pantoran remarked, before he addressed the man's comment about the Force living and breathing through life. "The Jedi introduced me to aspects of the Force that no one had shown me before. Concepts that are wholly alien when you're twisted up in the Dark Side. But, be careful that you don't take too kindly a view of the Force."

Leaning forward, Boo used his hands as he tried to give one example. "Take Sith Magic, for example. It draws on an aspect of the Force that contains horrors that can break the very minds of those who witness them."

Had Caedyn encountered Sith Magic before? The Pantoran paused there to allow his guest to provide a response.

Caedyn Arenais​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Caedyn listened intently as Boo Heavenshield described his earlier years, born to the Sith Order and later taken in by the First Order, both of which the Jedi Knight was intimately familiar with. In the bombing of Coruscant, however, Caedyn had not been present for at the time. In fact, back then he wanted to avoid the Galactic Alliance for their political aggression and attempts to muddy the reputation of the Order of the Silver Jedi. A political rivalry that was toxic behind the scenes, not revealed to the public spotlight but clear to Caedyn who had been close with the Silver Assembly at the time. Privileged information, yet sometimes ignorance truly was blissful.

"Sith alchemy is known to me, as I have learned how to practice Alkahest, the Jedi variant of perceived magicks" Caedyn replied to Boo, speaking simply; "Darth Carnifex is known to alter his own life force for example, transferring his essence into the younger bodies of others in order to avoid death. It is an unnatural perversion of the will of the Force, we all are born into this world, and eventually leave it for the ethereal realm, returning to that which created us" Caedyn gave his mind on the example he had divulged. The Jedi Knight had learned of this through the Holocron of his Father, Veiere Arenais who held a long-standing rivalry with Darth Prazutis, Carnifex's Uncle.

"Unfortunately, the Force does not deter the free will of others from abusing its potential for devastating harm. The Jedi have also shown this through the practice of the Wall of Light, most recently on Exegol where countless lives were lost on the side of the Brotherhood of the Maw. It was a move made in desperation to defeat those who would bring unknown harm to other worlds, yet even so, the Jedi committed to ending countless lives...-Regardless of whether they were good or bad, it did not sit well with me and I was on the surface fighting at the time" Caedyn revealed further, explaining the most significant and recent experience that had made him question the way of the Galaxy today, not just the Jedi Order alone.

"It begs the question, are we truly keepers of the peace and preservers of life when we so blatantly misuse the power of the force to destroy so many?" Caedyn posed the question to Boo, curious to hear the Pantoran's answer. "I've asked this of other Jedi and they speak the same truths that I have often thought, what choice is there when others are so readily eager to oppress the innocent lives of the Galaxy? The Brotherhood of the Maw would not have stopped in their aggressive pursuit of dominance, nor will the Order of the Sith now present in the Outer Rim...-But there still remains a line to be drawn in what harm the Jedi choose to inflict upon the Galaxy. To become Soldiers of war, or devout in the Force....".

 

[Boo Heavenshield]

"The Force also doesn't deter itself from trying to manipulating us in the same way we try to manipulate it."

Nothing Caedyn Arenais had said was incorrect. But it missed a crucial component. The Force did obey, but it also guided. It wasn't just a passive energy. It was an active participant.

"For better or for ill," the Pantoran added, as he continued even though he knew -- or assumed -- everything he was saying the man already knew. "It enhances the qualities and traits of the individual. It can bring out the very best -- or the very worst -- of anyone, and seems either fickle or capricious about which it selects."

"Don't mistake me, the fault does indeed lie with us," Boo added, to indicate he agreed with the man's points. "But some measure with the stars as well. The Force isn't some innocent bystander taken advantage of. Its a willing accomplice... or perhaps even the mastermind. Both are likely true in one regard or another."

That lent itself then to a question.

"Are things as they are because of people who abuse a system of power?" the Pantoran asked. "Or because a system of power manuevered them into position to do so?"

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Its a willing accomplice... or perhaps even the mastermind.

"My belief is that the Force guides us all, as you say. I have always seen it as a spiritual presence, myself" Caedyn explained following the question regarding whether the Force was in control or part of a greater plan; "The Force has a plan for all of us, which people refer to as the Will of the Force. It can be difficult to interpret and I doubt any Jedi has ever successfully understood what they've been told in great detail". Caedyn had no proof to confirm his beliefs, but it was his faith that had given him direction for the entirety of his life. Faith that the Force will guide him to where he needed to be at a given time.

"I am seeking to better commune with the Force in the hope of interpreting it as Seers do" Caedyn spoke further, this time of his ambitions; "Or perhaps any way I can" he added with uncertainty. "Despite a life dedicated to serving as a Jedi, there's still so much I do not know. The Force is limitless, surpassing the Galaxy itself. Even if I am successful, there is only so much that I can possibly learn within my lifetime. Perhaps a fraction of what's truly out there".

The Jedi Knight turned to look out across the Midvinter snow, silently questioning where his path would take him, and where to go next. "I plan to speak with Thurion Heavenshield while I am here, but as far as what comes next after Midvinter, I do not have much direction" Caedyn admitted. "I was not trained to be a seer, and how to bring on visions, let alone read them is beyond my knowledge. For now, at least".

Boo Heavenshield

 

[Boo Heavenshield]

"I am seeking to better commune with the Force in the hope of interpreting it as Seers do" Caedyn spoke further, this time of his ambitions

A hand came up, rubbing at the violet goatee.

"Careful," the Pantoran warned quietly, as his amber eyes peered up at the man. "When you look into the Force, the Force also looks back at you."

Rising from his chair, Boo moved over to a shelf that had a few books on it.

Actual books. Loub-paper bound in leather.

Retrieving three books, the Pantoran made his way back toward Caedyn Arenais and passed them over to him. Without elaboration, he continued, "The Sith also have their Seers, also try to divine the will of the Force. Their egos will prevent them from calling it that, but scrying is one of the first abilities a Sith sorcerer learns."

Dropping back into his seat, Boo held up his hands as he echoed what Caedyn had said. "The Force is limitless. Limitless good. But also limitless darkness." Pausing a moment, the Pantoran wrestled for the right term. "It could well be that morality is a... cultural construct. Or maybe a societal one. It does not apply to the Force, merely to the lens through which we choose to interpret our biased perceptions of it. As the Jedi have long maintained, good and evil depend greatly on one's point of view."

The mention of Thurion Heavenshield was good. His grandfather and Grandmaster was certainly better qualified than he for this sort of discussion. "The King is a much wiser man than I am," Boo offered, sincerely. "But, if I may offer a piece of advice from someone who spent their life trying to sort out where they belonged -- the light or the dark. Don't think about the journey or even where you want to go. Instead, be mindful of who you are. And ask yourself, who do you want to be?"

On that note, Boo admitted, "As the humans say, I have been... working on myself."

"As for the Force, it was before me and will be after me. It can see to itself. I've my hands full just trying to save the galaxy from an eight-year-old."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

"Careful, when you look into the Force, the Force also looks back at you."

"I do not have anything to hide" Caedyn responded with confidence, "Though I will heed your caution, of course. Do you mean to say that the Force could be harmful towards me, or is it in how I might interpret its visions?" Caedyn soon asked, curious to understand Boo Heavenshield correctly. The Jedi Knight had never engaged with visions before, yet he had learned through the history of the Jedi that such things had led to members of the Jedi Order in the past to act out of fear and anticipation.

The Jedi Knight nodded in response to Boo referencing the notion of good and evil, a matter of perception to the individual. Caedyn agreed and had held a similar discussion with others in the past, using the Sith as a prime example due to the history of the first civil war between Force Users.

"Don't think about the journey or even where you want to go. Instead, be mindful of who you are. And ask yourself, who do you want to be?"

"Sound advice" Caedyn smiled, lowering his head in a nod of acknowledgement and appreciation for Boo's wisdom. "Though my concerns and questions have led me on a somewhat uncertain path lately, I still remain a Jedi Knight with the overall objective of serving the Force and protecting the innocent. Those who cannot defend themselves from the likes of the Sith and other oppressive forces" the Jedi Knight explained when posed with the question of who Caedyn wished to be.

"I would help others, discourage conflict where possible but ultimately act if it's required of me".