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Sen Kai
Aric was not the “chatty Kathy” that Master Vanagor was. Make no mistake, he respected the Guardian, he was a warrior and highly capable in combat. That being said, the big man was more likely to spend hours shooting the breeze with Wookiees than Aric who would simply get the basics about this hunting party and be on his way. It wasn’t that he did not want to be there, or was being intentionally rude, but it was his nature as a Jedi who would spend the majority of their time in solidarity.
That was not his life anymore, now it was teaching, and offering the younger generation encouragement, and wisdom and all of those “cheery little bits and pieces”.
He was not on the platform at the moment, but in the dense jungle of Kashyykk, the figure moved with the grace of a predator and the quietude of a ghost. Aric Siasides, a Jedi Shadow Master, had come to meet a peculiar aspirant to the ancient order. He was a man of few words, his eyes piercing the foliage as if they could read the whispers of the leaves. His lightsaber hung at his side, a silent sentinel of his unyielding will.
"Master Aric," a tentative voice called out. It was Llahdoof, a young Wookiee. His eyes, a mix of his woodland heritage and the piercing blue of a free spirit, searched for the shadowed figure among the ferns. His breathing was steady, a testament to his training, despite the anticipation that quivered through his limbs.
"Good evening, Llahdoof," Aric said, his voice as calm as the surface of a still pond. He stepped into the dipping sunlight and onto the gondola platform that would take him up to the same holding the hunting party, his robes fluttering slightly in the gentle breeze. “Today will be a good day, will it not?” Llahdoof responded eagerly, offering words of happiness and wonder. He was not old enough for the right of passage yet, but was eagerly working toward the day he would be considered a “warrior”.
Aric was normally not “touchy feely” but could appreciate the boy’s enthusiasm and offered encouragement as they rode upward. It was not long before he was steps from his aspirant.
"Welcome to the Shadowlands, Sen Kai. Today, you begin a trial that will challenge your understanding of the Force and your place within it."
Waiting for Sen Kai to acknowledge, he would know what was at stake; Aric would explain how this was not simply a rite of passage, but a test that would determine his future within the Jedi Order. It was also a way of life for the Wookiees so taking it lightly would insult them. Aric continued, "We are to join this Wookiee hunting party. We seek an enormous creature, the Terantatek."
He knew that this might get the young Jedi's heart to skip a beat at the mention of the beast. Stories of its ferocity and size had been shared in hushed tones around the campfires of the Jedi academy. Yet, he felt a strange excitement stir within him. This would be a chance to prove himself.
Aric's gaze was unflinching. "Remember, my role is to observe and guide, not to interfere. Only when the trial is over will I speak of your actions. Are you prepared for this?"
It would be when Sen Kai responded that with a nod, the Jedi Master would activate his lightsaber, the blade sizzling to life. "Then let us depart," Aric said, and together, they disappeared into the fold of the jungle, leaving behind the echo of their footsteps and the promise of a trial that would test the very fabric of their beings.
Aric Siasides
guidence when he was not occupied training other Jedi or tending to other duties. Sen was to join the Master at gondola high in the tree tops that would lead to the underbelly of the forest. He was to go hunting, to stalk the most dangerous prey of all... 
