Ava Valorum Introduction

Crashsite Base Memorial Cemetery, Lanos

Jedi Knight Ava Valorum had decided to take one last stop at her late Master’s grave marker before she departed from the system. After more than a year of leading Lanos’ development into a fortress world, the Jedi Council finally decided to redeploy her. Where to, Ava did not yet know. In a short while, she would be on a shuttle back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, from which she would acquire further instructions. For the time being Ava felt it was best to say her goodbyes, with her first being to her deceased Master, Kala Zaris, who had poured everything into Ava when she had been a Padawan, and had ultimately sacrificed herself for her and the Republic. As she paid her last respects, Ava wondered what Zaris’ legacy would be. Ten years from now, would anyone other than Ava herself cherish the memories of the selfless, valiant Jedi Master? Was this, ultimately, the fate of every Jedi, to selflessly serve the Republic, leaving behind no family, truly remembered only by a few close friends?

“I will remember you for the rest of my days,” Ava whispered, “and I will strive to live up to your hopes for me.”

It was time to go.

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Crashsite Military Port, VIP Hanger, Lanos

A short while later, Ava found herself at the foot of a shuttle at the nearby spaceport. An entourage of commanding officers of the 76th Clone Army, including Commander Zane, who was taking on most of her responsibilities, had come with her to see her off, which Ava found to be a touching gesture. Although the clones were bio-engineered constructs built to serve the Republic, Ava had found herself growing fond of them. Perhaps they were kindred spirits, for indeed Ava too felt like she had more or less been designed to serve the Republic, in her case due to her Force Sensitivity. Although she had technically been given a choice, after being taken in by the Jedi Order and indoctrinated into their beliefs when she was a child, what other choice did she really have? As she took the bags that contained the majority of her worldly belongings from the Clone who had carried them (indeed, so austere was the lifestyle of a Jedi that she could fit everything into two suitcases), she found herself struggling to figure out how she should express her gratitude to the men that she had fought alongside and worked so closely with the past year. It was not appropriate for a Jedi to hug people; it also wasn’t appropriate to cry. In the end, she shook their hands, mumbled her thanks to each of them, and gave a final head bow to the group just before she turned and boarded the shuttle. It was dissatisfying. After placing her bags into a passenger compartment, Ava found a seat, and when she was certain she was alone, only then did she let herself tear up…