JEDI HoloNet

Vriddhym was born on Kerilt, a planet in the mid rim which a significant number of Caamasi like his own ancestors fled to after the destruction of the ecosystem carried out in the time of the first galactic empire. Over the centuries passed after this violent aftermath, a subset of Caamasi on Kerilt had formed what was considered a fundamentalist but small religious group who fixated on keeping the memory of the aftermath alive through Memnii, These were vivid memories that Caamasi could pass in full detail to their relatives as if they experienced it themselves. The sect of fanatics had grown increasingly withdrawn from the main society, whilst tolerated there were many growing concerns of the sect often in the form of push back with a limitation on their religious expression. With their held fixation of these painful memories of the past and collective grievances the sect began to take on an increasingly apocalyptic outlook to the future with some believing there was an ever-encroaching disaster that would destroy the galaxy itself.

It was in this belief system that Vriddhym had be born into the crucible that shaped him. Mriti, Vriddhym’s mother raised him as best as a mother like her could. She had a psychological condition rare among Caamasi known as Memniiosis. Suffers often had difficulty from shifting and distinguishing through their own thoughts and the powerful vivid experiences of Memnii. In Mriti’s case this would often lead to confusion, paranoia and an inability to grasp onto reality. Her lifelong belief in the religious sect did no favors for her condition, she often had deluded Memniiotic episodes related to the end of all things. Over time it led to her increasingly inability to properly care for Vriddhym. With his father he only had a select few memories of his own. Most were from his mother who had shared some Memnii the vivid experiences he took from her giving an often incomplete and contradictory story of who his father was. He knew he had left early on after he was born but Mriti often claimed wild things about his father.

Vriddhym belonging to this small and isolated community couldn’t fathom the unusual but brief childhood he had. The doomsaying rituals and preparatory beliefs had a cynical effect to his childlike perceptions about the world, often leading to a learnt hopelessness. He often believed his mother was a soothsayer, and some of the Caamasi helped enable this as she often in her illness claimed visions of the future in which she saw carnage and destruction only fueling the sect’s deterministic belief that the end was coming and that it was soon. There had been unfortunate moments in her delusions where she had shared her Memniiotic Memnii to Vriddhym. Often snapping out of these states in regret with the terrifying images and sensations that she never wanted herself, to have to then be brought onto her son. This led to Vriddhym to wonder if he would be exactly as his mum, with himself being exposed to her fragmented mind.

The culmination of all of these forces made Vriddhym highly empathic but skittish around those he didn’t know well. The effortful struggle that he tried to keep him and his mother’s world running was a futile burden for a child. he was required to integrate into the larger society by attending the local schools that was mandatory for all Caamasi. Here it had been shown that he had poor attention and fell behind his peers slowly leading himself to withdraw into his own imagination with any of his own vivid memories he remembered fondly. Merit by one’s own efforts was not understood by him as he knew you could always do your best but still fail

By the time he reached eight, growing concerns from Kerlit authorities had flagged certain children in the religious organisation to be suspected of parental neglect. Serendipitously a visit from a pair of Jedi watchmen had been asked to check on the welfare of these children that were under concern. Not as armed interventionists but to assess the well-being of such children. Vriddhym was one of these, spotted out by the education system who flagged the boy’s poor learning and dropping attendance to school.

The Jedi pair had approached the humble abode where Vriddhym lived. It was the last on their agenda before they would report back to the authorities of their findings and head off-world.

Vriddhym sat on a stumped tree, drawing lines in the mud with a stick. The moment the Jedi entered his periphery his eyes darted toward the two approaching Jedi. He dropped the stick and ran, slipping through the oval-shaped doorway draped with heavy fabric.

One of the Jedi gently pulled the curtain aside.

“Hello? May we come in? We mean no harm.”

An older woman answered, her voice strained but forcefully warm.

“As long as you bring no bad spirits, you may enter.”

Inside, the room was dim. Mriti sat on a worn couch, her yellow eye-slits briefly focusing before turning distant. She seemed unable to string together coherent sentences as she started rambling without hesitation.

“I knew this day would come they tell me I’m a an old cooky coot, I see it all now, the past the present, the future. I know how this story ends” she said remaining vacant in her expression.

The Jedi exchanged glances but said nothing. Vriddhym watched from the hallway arch, half-hidden in shadow. He couldn’t understand what they were, only that they didn’t seem angry or judgmental of his mother just quiet.. Still and present. They introduced themselves and explained they were checking on her and her son.

Mriti rambled again:

“They don’t see it… the stars are already decaying. I keep telling them.”

Her eyes trailed off one of the Jedi following her eyes off as they led to another, the pupils ever slightly widening at as the eyes locked on each other.

“You can come out friend, we’re just checking on you and your mother” Virddhim slowly approached out before quickly making his way beside his mother She reached out a hand for his head.
“he is a good boy, quiet… but he’s downing in it you know? The memories.. Some things.. I gave him.. I didn’t mean to”

She seemed confused as she rubbed her temples.
The Jedi stayed a while longer talking to the boy and his mother observing them with no discernible expression. Then they stepped outside, speaking in hushed tones. When they returned, their voices were calm.

“It is not our place to interfere, nor do we wish to. But we have sensed something in Vriddhym, an echo, perhaps, of the Force. We cannot be certain and there is no guarantee. Still, given your condition and his well-being, it may be wise for him to journey with us. If he is force-sensitive as we may believe, we can ensure he receives the care and guidance he needs.”

The mostly vacant expression they had seen from Mriti warped quickly a frown formed as he locked her eyes on the Jedi in anger

“DEMON! You will not take him from me you think you will escape the end? The end that will.. will..”

She sunk silently for a moment a sense of lucidity out of her delirious state broke through, anger quickly vanishing into softened eyes that watered.

“He can’t grow in a place where all he learns is how to die”

The silence hung like a veil, in that pause, the Jedi saw it clearly, an acceptance. Vriddhym however did not understand, nor did he realise everything was about to change. The Jedi had spoken to Vriddhym gently in another room, they told him what they could offer, a way out and a path forward. He was confused and frighten but there was a quiet part of him beneath the fears and sorrows- He did not want to live the life he knew. The Jedi conducted a test on Virrdhym, pricking his blood before confirming what the Jedi had suspected, the child did have a sensitivity to the force, and they knew the environment could have disastrous consequences for the child and the community that would raise him should the latent connection to the force grow.

They helped pack only the essentials for Vriddhym, it would be all he needed. As he left back to the living room he ran to his mother arms clasped onto her as she remained on the couch. He wailed and cried

“I can’t do this! I don’t want to leave I’m scared I don’t want to leave you” He pleaded

She pursed her lips to a faint smile looking down at her son she knew she couldn’t continue to offer any semblance of a suitable life to the child she still loved dearly

“You can’t remain here my child, I have already seen you at the end of all things, elsewhere bright, strong… happy.”

She placed an intentional hand on Vriddhym. To the onlooking Jedi it was assumed she initiated a Memnis as Vriddhym’s insoluble sadness began to fade. He looked up at her seemingly to be in acceptance and understanding. He would not take his eyes off her as he slowly led off with the two Jedi. He went off with one of the Jedi back to his starship which was bound to take him to the academy on Duneeden.

Not long after the Jedi’s visit, after they had reported their findings to the Caamasi authorities, detailing the neglect faced by children like Vriddhym. In response, the authorities cracked down on the infamous sect, leading to the removal of many children from their families. Vriddhym would surely have been among them. Whether he understood it or not, his life was never to be his to shape. Perhaps by mysterious graces of happenstance or perhaps something more? He was now in a position where he would be able to write his own story.