The bigger the galaxy, the sweeter the homecoming.
—Corellian proverb
A Bittersweet Homecoming is the twenty-second installment in Sakaros's Untitled New Sith Wars series. Jedi Master Nawsa Arodion grapples with the fallout of the Sith assassination mission on Commenor.
Opening Crawl[]
Excerpt[]
| Source: A Bittersweet Homecoming | Attribution: Sakaros |
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Tem-Fol-Rytil glanced at the angry wound where Galera's neck met her shoulder. "And none of your healing techniques have purged the toxin?" "It's resisted easy expulsion. I think it must be a biotoxin; it blends too well with her body's own fluids to be a synthetic." Nawsa's eyes tightened. "Or else I'm just out of my league." "Nawsa, I feel the strength of your efforts," said Tem-Fol-Rytil. "I know few Jedi who could have done more; I don't know that I would have had the power to do even this much. But—" "I can't just let her die." He felt the emotion beneath Nawsa's determination now—a powerful commingling of love and shame. In the gentlest tone he could muster, he said, "Death comes for us all in its own time; we none of us can escape it. It's a natural part of life." For just a moment, Nawsa gave him her focus, and her voice sharpened to a Jedi Master's tone of authority. "But not like this. There is nothing natural in this." To that, Tem-Fol-Rytil had no answer. Beasts attacked and ate one another, plagues and viruses swept over populations, and natural disasters consumed whole worlds, but sentient beings should have been above such things. "Help me," Nawsa said. "I haven't come all this way to fail; have you come all this way only to fail to try?" Being a Cerean, and possessing a Cerean's powerful brain, gave Tem-Fol-Rytil many advantages over other beings, but just now it proved as much liability as asset; not only could he see the debate from Nawsa's side, he could conduct the entire argument in his head, including some strong arguments she had yet to venture. He looked back at the Solos, waiting in the corner for his decision; he sought the Force's guidance, but the paths branching out from this moment were amorphous and fogged, solid and sound one moment only to dissolve into quagmires the next. "I will do what I can," he finally said, deciding even as he spoke. "Perhaps two Jedi Masters can succeed where one did not. But if not, you must be prepared to accept that." Nawsa was quiet for a moment. "Elata would tell us not to plan for losing the battle before we fight it. Let's get to work." | |
Segments[]
Appearances[]
| Characters | Creatures | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
Dramatis personae
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Other characters
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Creatures
Droid models
Events
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Locations
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Organizations and titles
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Sentient species
Vehicles and vessels
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Weapons and technology
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Miscellanea
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Plot Summary[]
Two days after Darth Alecto's kill team attacked the Commenori Economic Roundtable, Tem-Fol-Rytil, Grand Master of the Jedi Order, arrives on Commenor, where Jedi Master Nawsa Arodion has been trying and failing to save Galera Solo's life. Tem-Fol-Rytil clashes with Master Tyson Dumiel, leader of the Corellian Jedi, before conferring with King Jedossen e Solo and Galera's immediate family. At her request, he tries to help Nawsa heal Galera, but when he realizes it is a lost cause, he convinces Nawsa to let her die in peace.
While awaiting the funeral on Corellia, Nawsa stays at the Green Jedi Enclave, the Corellian Jedi's traditional headquarters. She debates the merits of the revived Corellian Jedi with Dumiel and Ainar Zylorus, a Corellian Jedi Master who trained Mali Darakhan. Tyson is obstinate in his views; Ainar is more moderate, but invites Nawsa to join the Corellian Jedi herself, feeling her leadership and her connection to the Republic would keep the Corellians and the mainstream Jedi on the same course.
After the funeral of Galera and Satir Solo, King Jedossen travels to the Green Jedi Enclave to meet with Nawsa, who had been his lover decades earlier. They share their grief and console one another, and rekindle their relationship. Jedossen asks Nawsa to remain on Corellia; Nawsa is ambivalent, but the two profess their continued love for each other.
Some days later, Tem-Fol-Rytil journeys to the enclave, where he comes to suspect Nawsa is considering defecting. He talks her out of the decision by candidly admitting that the Jedi Council is governing the Republic through its connection to the Chancellor, and that her presence on the Council is one of the only things keeping Corellia a cooperating member of the Republic. Nawsa agrees to return to Coruscant, but bids farewell to Coronet City before boarding the shuttle, leaving Tem-Fol-Rytil with the uncomfortable feeling that he has accomplished his goal while still doing something wrong.
Behind the Scenes[]
Nawsa Arodion's vow to Jedossen that "The stars will burn out before I stop loving you" is a mythology gag with a song in Sakaros's other continuity.