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Interlude – Kaiden's Story Part I

Several decades ago...

The starter area was a wide, open chamber, dimly lit to mimic the streets of a bustling Outer Rim settlement at night. Kaiden, age 13, stood apart from his creche-mates, both literally and figuratively.

He leaned against a faux stone wall near the edge of the room, his amber eyes scanning the simulated environment with sharp focus. Near him, the other four Younglings clustered in an animated group, whispering and laughing softly as they prepared for the mission. They had always seemed to Kaiden like pieces of a puzzle that fit together effortlessly, while he was a piece from a different set—similar in shape but never quite able to click into place.

It wasn't that he didn't want to connect with them. He had tried, in his own way, but the rhythm of social interaction eluded him like a melody he couldn't quite hear. The other children bonded over shared experiences and simple joys, but Kaiden's thoughts always seemed to drift elsewhere—toward the Force, the nature of the galaxy, the questions no one else his age seemed interested in asking.

He had also tried connecting with his teachers, hoping that their wisdom might offer him the guidance he couldn't find among his peers. After all, they had the experience, the insight, the connection to the Force that Kaiden so deeply admired. Surely, they would understand him better than the other children did. But those attempts, too, had left him feeling adrift. His questions about the Force were often met with polite, vague answers that did little to satisfy his curiosity. When he pressed further, his instructors universally grew wary, their answers growing shorter and more clipped.

More than once, Kaiden caught his instructors exchanging uncertain glances when they thought he wasn't looking. He didn't need the Force to sense their discomfort. They recognized his potential, but they didn't know what to do with him. He was too curious, too unorthodox, and, he suspected, too difficult to mold into the kind of Jedi they wanted him to be.

Their polite indifference stung more than he cared to admit. He had wanted so badly to belong, to earn their trust and respect, but instead, he felt like an anomaly—something to be managed, not nurtured. It was a lesson he had come to internalize: if the Masters couldn't understand him, how could his peers?

So over time, he had learned to retreat, to let the distance grow. It was easier that way. He told himself it didn't matter—that friendships were a distraction, that his focus on understanding the Force was more important. But deep down, in a quiet part of himself he rarely acknowledged, he wondered what it would feel like to belong.

The soft murmur of his creche-mates' voices reached him, a mix of excitement and nervous energy. The mission briefing had yet to begin, but their teacher, Jedi Knight Lethas Ordan, had promised it would be a challenging exercise.

The comm unit embedded in the wall near the door crackled to life and Lethas's calm voice filled the chamber. "Attention, Younglings. Your mission is as follows: Five Assembly Advocates have been taken hostage by a group of pirates demanding ransom. They are being held inside a fortified building in the center of the simulation zone. The building is surrounded by sentry droids programmed to sound the alarm if alerted. Civilians are present in the area, and your objective is to rescue the Advocates while minimizing loss of life. Team Leader Saren Alvo will now outline your plan. May the Force guide you."

Kaiden turned his gaze to Saren, a sandy-haired boy two years his junior. Despite his youth, Saren looked to have the confidence of a much more seasoned Jedi as he stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his training saber.

"All right, everyone," Saren began, stepping forward and holding out a small holo-map of the simulated city. The glowing display cast faint light on his youthful features as he outlined the plan. "Here's how we'll do this."

He pointed to the cluster of buildings surrounding the target. "We'll move across the rooftops to stay out of sight. It's the safest path and keeps us out of range of the sentry droids' patrols on the streets. If we're careful, we should be able to get close to the target building without being detected."

Saren shifted the map to focus on the sentry droids' positions. "When we encounter sentry droids, we'll take them out quietly—quick strikes, no alarms. If one of them starts to signal for reinforcements, do everything you can to disable it before it can alert the others."

He paused, scanning the group to ensure they were following. "Once we've reached the building, we'll descend into it. The goal is to avoid conflict inside. The pirates might not be expecting us, and we can use that to our advantage. We'll negotiate with them to release the Advocates. Violence is a last resort."

Kaiden leaned against the wall, arms crossed as he watched. He admired Saren's confidence but couldn't help noticing the gaps in the plan. Negotiating with armed pirates while avoiding harm to the civilians and Advocates seemed overly optimistic, but he stayed quiet for now, letting Saren continue.

"If negotiations fail," Saren went on, "we'll regroup and reassess. The Advocates' safety is our priority, and we'll act accordingly. We don't want to escalate things if we can avoid it, but if we have to engage the pirates, focus on disabling rather than killing."

He tapped the holo-map, switching to a detailed view of the building's interior. "We believe the Advocates are being held in this central room. There are multiple routes in, but we'll stick together to minimize risk. If we're separated or something goes wrong, fall back to this position," he highlighted a small, defensible side room near the building's west exit, "and wait for further instructions."

One of the creche-mates, a Human girl named Nala, raised a hand. "What about the civilians in the area? How do we make sure they don't get caught in the crossfire?"

Saren nodded at the question. "Good point. That's part of why we're taking the rooftops. We'll avoid drawing attention to the streets as much as possible. If we see civilians in danger, we prioritize their safety. That means you'll need to stay aware of your surroundings at all times."

He turned back to the map and gestured to the group. "Remember, this mission isn't just about completing the objective. It's about teamwork and protecting lives. Stick together, follow the plan, and we'll get through this. Understood?"

The creche-mates nodded in unison, some giving quiet verbal affirmations. Kaiden inclined his head slightly, his expression neutral. Saren's plan was solid on the surface, but it relied too heavily on things going smoothly. In Kaiden's experience, simulations like this never did.

Kaiden raised his hand, drawing Saren's attention. "What if the pirates refuse to negotiate?" he asked.

Saren hesitated for a moment. "If that happens, we'll have to rely on improvisation. The safety of the Advocates comes first. If anyone has a suggestion in the moment, speak up."

Kaiden nodded, filing the answer away. He'd already begun working on his own contingency in case the plan went south—or better yet, a way to ensure the pirates never got the chance to fight back in the first place.

Saren scanned the group one last time. "Any other questions?" When none came, he exhaled, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Good. Let's move out."

The Younglings moved in silence across the rooftops, following Saren's lead. Kaiden trailed near the back of the group, his sharp eyes swept the streets below. As they advanced, his mind worked quietly, picking apart the details of Saren's plan. It wasn't a bad approach—stealth and negotiation were prudent choices—but to Kaiden, it felt incomplete. Pirates weren't known for their diplomacy, after all.

As they neared the target building, Kaiden slowed his pace, hanging back until the group was several meters ahead. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted a sentry droid standing near an alleyway entrance, partially obscured by the simulated shadows of the city. Isolated, it was more than he could have hoped for.

Kaiden slipped over the edge of the rooftop and dropped silently to the street below, landing in a crouch. The hum of the holographic environment filled the air, masking his soft footfalls as he crept forward. The droid stood still, its photoreceptor sweeping the area in slow, methodical arcs.

Kaiden's movements were deliberate, almost meditative. He sank into the Force, letting its currents guide him. His breathing slowed, his muscles relaxed, and his steps became an extension of the environment itself. He moved when the droid's photoreceptor was at its farthest point from him, freezing whenever it swung back toward his direction. A faint breeze from the simulation brushed past him, and he used it as cover for his subtle movements, blending into the rhythm of the scene.

The droid's servos whirred softly as it shifted position, its patrol path confined to a small area. Kaiden crouched low behind a crate and slipped a small, cylindrical device from his belt, activating it with a quiet hum. Uneven seams marked where mismatched components had been painstakingly fused together, and exposed circuits glowed faintly through tiny gaps.

He ran his thumb over its surface, feeling a swell of quiet satisfaction. He'd built the device himself during his free time, piecing it together after their last simulated mission. That exercise had frustrated him—so many things had gone wrong, not because of poor execution but because the tools available to them were too limited.

Kaiden had spent hours poring over schematics and salvaging parts from old training droids and discarded tools. The repulsorlift emitter had been the key addition, an idea that struck him while studying a hover pallet used for moving heavy loads. If he could adapt that technology into a miniature form, the slicer device wouldn't need physical contact to work—it could hover just close enough to establish a connection, all while keeping him out of harm's way.

The final product had taken several late nights to perfect. It wasn't elegant—Kaiden wasn't a professional engineer—but it was functional. He'd tested it on decommissioned droids in the storage room, tweaking the range and pulse strength until it reliably established a link at just under a meter.

Of course, he wasn't entirely sure the device was allowed. It wasn't forbidden, exactly, but bringing in unapproved tools—especially ones that bypassed standard training protocols—probably wasn't exactly encouraged. Still, Kaiden figured that if it worked—and if it helped—he could justify it as a demonstration of ingenuity rather than rebellion. Jedi were supposed to adapt to challenges, weren't they? That's what they always taught him.

Now, as he crouched in the simulated alley, the slicing device humming softly in his hand, Kaiden knew he was about to find out if all those late nights had been worth it. He adjusted the repulsorlift setting with a flick of his thumb, the faint pulse of the emitter creating a subtle distortion in the air. He lined up his angle, letting the Force guide his timing.

The droid turned, its photoreceptor sweeping away from him. Kaiden leaned forward, holding his breath, and sent the device hovering toward its target. It glided silently through the air, the emitter keeping it just above waist level as it traveled. As it reached the droid's central processor panel, the device pulsed once, establishing a connection. The droid froze for a split second, its systems responding to the new input.

Kaiden waited, his heart pounding, as the device sent its override commands. The droid's photoreceptor flickered, then steadied, its posture straightening as it accepted the new programming. It let out a soft beep of acknowledgment and retrieved the device with its manipulator arm, securing it in a storage compartment. Without hesitation, it turned and began marching toward the other sentry droids.

Kaiden exhaled slowly, a small smile tugging at his lips. It wasn't perfect. The pulse range could have been better, and the emitter needed more stabilization—but it worked. If anyone questioned him later, he already knew what he'd say. He wasn't breaking the rules; he was bending them, reshaping them to meet the mission's needs. That's what the Jedi were meant to do. At least, that's what he believed.

For now, though, he slipped back into the shadows, moving swiftly to rejoin his teammates. There would be time to argue philosophy later.

Kaiden reached the group as they crouched on a rooftop overlooking the target building. Saren turned sharply at the sound of Kaiden's quiet footsteps, his face tight with irritation. "Where were you?" he demanded in a low voice, barely above a whisper.

"Scouting alternative routes," Kaiden replied evenly, his amber eyes meeting Saren's without hesitation. His tone was calm, almost dismissive, as though he hadn't just vanished during a critical phase of the mission.

"We don't need 'alternative routes,'" Saren said, keeping his voice low. "We need everyone to stay on task."

Kaiden shrugged lightly. "I didn't see any harm in preparing for contingencies."

Saren narrowed his eyes, uncertainty flickering behind his frustration. He opened his mouth to retort but stopped, glancing at the others. Nala shifted uncomfortably, and one of the others gave a quiet cough, their unease at the tension clear. After a moment, Saren exhaled sharply and waved a hand. "Fine. But stick to the plan from here."

Kaiden gave a small nod, his expression remaining neutral. "Of course."

Saren turned away, muttering under his breath as he refocused on the mission. Kaiden allowed himself a brief smirk, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

The group continued their approach, leaping between rooftops in near silence. The simulated city stretched around them like a shadowy labyrinth, its dim lights casting faint, flickering patterns across the ground below.

As they reached the final rooftop, Saren raised a hand to halt the group. He pointed toward the target: a squat, multi-story structure with narrow windows and reinforced walls. Four sentry droids patrolled the roof, their photoreceptors sweeping in slow arcs.

"We'll need to deal with those first," Saren whispered, crouching low. "Nala, Jorren, you're with me on the left. Kaiden, you take the two on the right with—" he glanced at one of the younger creche-mates, a boy named Elos, "—him. Quiet and quick. No alarms."

Kaiden nodded, already analyzing the movements of the droids. Their patrol paths overlapped briefly near a vented outcrop—a perfect choke point. He gestured silently to Elos, and the two moved to the right, keeping low as they skirted the edge of the rooftop.

Kaiden ignited his training saber with a soft snap-hiss, the pale-blue blade casting a faint glow in the darkness. The hum of the saber seemed louder than it was, but Kaiden didn't flinch. He felt the Force stir within him, steadying his breath, slowing his heart. The droid rounded the outcrop, its photoreceptor flickering toward them.

A blaster bolt shot toward Kaiden, but he moved before his mind fully registered it, the Force guiding his actions. His saber swung in a fluid arc, deflecting the bolt into the ground. The droid adjusted, tracking him, but Kaiden was already moving. Two quick strikes—one to sever its weaponized arm, the other to slice through its processor—brought the machine down in a shower of sparks.

He barely spared the falling droid a glance as he turned to check on Elos. The younger boy's movements were hesitant, his saber slightly unsteady as he engaged the second droid. It fired twice, and Elos managed to deflect one bolt, though the other singed the edge of his tunic. Kaiden stepped in without a word, a single precise slash from his saber cleaving the droid's power core. It crumpled at Elos's feet, sparking faintly.

Elos looked up at Kaiden, clearly embarrassed. "Thanks."

Kaiden gave him a faint nod. "You had it," he said, though his tone was flat. "Let's go."

They regrouped near the access hatch where the rest of the team waited. Saren looked at the two of them, his gaze lingering on Elos's singed tunic, but he said nothing. Instead, he turned to the hatch and motioned for the group to gather closer.

"We're in," Saren said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Follow me."

Kaiden took his place near the back of the group as they descended into the building, their steps muffled by the simulated environment. The narrow hallways were dimly lit, the faint hum of holo-projectors and distant mechanical sounds creating an eerie tension. The air was heavy with anticipation, each corner and shadow a potential threat.

Near the stairwell, they encountered another pair of droids, their photoreceptors glowing faintly in the dim light. Saren raised a hand to halt the group and ignited his training saber, the pale-blue blade springing to life. The light smell of ozone filled the corridor.

"Stay back," Saren said firmly.

Before the others could respond, the lead droid fired, its blaster bolt streaking through the air. Saren moved with precision, his saber intercepting the shot and deflecting it harmlessly into the wall. The second droid followed, its weapon arm shifting to target him. Saren lunged forward, his blade slicing cleanly through the first droid's weapon assembly, and without breaking stride, he pivoted, his saber sweeping in a tight arc to disable the processor. The machine collapsed in a lifeless heap.

The second droid recalibrated, its photoreceptor locking onto Saren. Another bolt fired, but Saren twisted, his blade catching it mid-flight and redirecting it into the droid's leg joint. The machine staggered, its balance faltering, and Saren pressed the advantage. A quick upward strike to the power core finished the job, leaving the droid crumpled at his feet.

He straightened, his breathing calm despite the brief but intense exchange.

"Let's keep moving," Saren said. He extinguished his saber, casting a brief glance at the group. "Stay focused. We're not done yet."

Finally, they reached the main room. Saren raised a hand, halting the group. They crouched outside the door, peering into the chamber. The simulated scene was bizarre: the "Advocates," droids draped in Assembly robes, stood unharmed near the far wall. In the center, the "pirates," similarly disguised droids in mismatched armor, knelt with their hands raised. Surrounding them, four sentry droids stood silent, their blasters drawn but inactive. Everything in the room seemed frozen, as if caught mid-action.

Before anyone could speak, the voice of their teacher came over the comm system. "Simulation complete. The mission was a... success," he announced, though his tone held hesitation, as if he wasn't entirely sure of that declaration.

Most of the group exchanged confused looks. Nala stepped closer to the scene, her brow furrowed. "Why are the sentries holding the pirates hostage?"

"That's not supposed to happen," Elos added, his voice uncertain. "Right? They were supposed to be on the pirates' side. They don't just switch sides."

Saren stepped toward the frozen sentries. "No, they don't," he said. "The simulation wasn't supposed to end like this. We hadn't even reached the main room yet."

Nala folded her arms. "Maybe it was some kind of glitch? The sentries malfunctioned or—"

"It wasn't a glitch." Saren's voice cut through her speculation, his gaze shifting to the group. His expression darkened as his eyes landed on Kaiden, who stood near the back. "Kaiden. What were you really doing when you left the group?"

The room went quiet as all eyes turned to him. "Scouting alternative routes," he said smoothly, his tone betraying nothing.

Saren glared at him, his frustration barely contained. "Don't play coy. This—" he gestured toward the sentries and pirates, "—isn't normal. Did you do something?"

Kaiden's smirk was faint but unmistakable. "I made an adjustment."

Nala's eyes widened. "Wait—you did this? How?"

Kaiden shrugged. "While we were moving across the rooftops, I noticed one of the sentry droids was isolated, so I reprogrammed it."

Elos blinked. "Reprogrammed? How did you even manage that?"

"I used a slicer device I built," Kaiden replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "I programmed it with threat variables that I thought this simulation might utilize, then added a command to prioritize neutralizing them. I also added a command to slice any other sentry droid it encountered, so they'd adopt the same parameters along the way."

Saren took a step closer, his fists clenched. "And you didn't think to tell us?"

"There wasn't time," Kaiden said calmly. "Besides, you already had the main plan under control. This was... insurance."

"You undermined the entire mission!" Saren's voice rose, his frustration sharpening. "We didn't even get the chance to carry out the plan."

Nala interjected, her tone half-amused, half-exasperated. "You really just decided to let the sentries take over? And it actually worked?"

Kaiden glanced at the frozen scene, his smirk returning briefly. "Looks like it."

Saren turned away, letting out a sharp breath as he tried to rein in his irritation. "You can't just go off and do things your way, Kaiden. This was a team mission."

"And the team succeeded," Kaiden replied. "That's what matters."

Elos frowned. "But it doesn't feel like we did anything."

Kaiden shrugged again. "Sometimes the smartest move is the one that requires the least effort."

Saren spun back around, his expression tight with anger. "You don't get it, do you? This isn't just about completing the objective. It's about learning to work together. To trust each other."

Kaiden's smirk faded, and his tone grew colder. "Trust isn't about following orders blindly. It's about making sure everyone gets out alive, even if that means doing things differently."

The tension in the room was palpable, but before Saren could respond, Lethas's voice cut in again, calm but commanding. "Younglings, return to the debriefing room. We'll discuss the mission there."

Saren shot Kaiden one last glare before turning and heading toward the exit. Nala, Jorren, and Elos followed, their expressions a mix of curiosity and unease. Kaiden lingered for a moment, his amber eyes flicking back to the frozen droids. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he turned and followed the group.

The mission had been unconventional and far from what anyone had expected—but in Kaiden's mind, it had been a success. And that, he thought, was the only thing that actually mattered.