Not so long ago....in an academy far far away...

[Kian Karr]

Spoiler

Ultrachrome (( Objective : With three or more other characters your character is familiar with, complete a story about how you met in the distant past –OR— with two or more characters your character is not familiar with, become trapped in hostile territory and escape. ))

Ok guys, so this is set in the distant past when you all first came to the Jedi Academy on Ossus. To set the stage, we are placing this shortly after the Invasion of Empress Teta, just after the Ossus Academy was attacked by One Sith forces. Kian is a Jedi Knight meeting with a class of younglings (i.e., yous!!).

Veino - We technically first met on Alderaan, but if you'd like to use this as a our first meeting that would be fun!

Jedi Knight Kian Karr....it somehow had a strange sound to it as it rang through the Kel Dor's head. Kian walked briskly down the corridor on his way to the training room. It felt like just yesterday when he stepped off the ship onto the surface of Tython and embraced his path as a Jedi. He'd been a padawan there....and student of sorts....and he'd been taken under the wing of Jedi Master Talon Vosra. Now, a few years down the road, and Kian found himself on his way to a class but as the instructor not the student.

It was a strange feeling.

"Good day." Kian said bowing his head to another of the instructors as he passed and bowed his head to him. Kian didn't normally walk around saying hello to people, but it just felt so surreal being an instructor that he found himself acting stranger than usual.

Stepping through the doorway into a small training room, Kian saw the small cluster of students arrayed before him. They were younger than he was when he joined the Order and looking at them brought out all the same feelings he'd felt when he was in their position.

"Good afternoon everyone." Kian said, his voice deep and static from beneath the antiox mask. Kian found it amusing that he was more nervous here, in front of his fellow Jedi, than he had been on the battlefield at Empress Teta and Carida....his first taste of fighting.

​

[member="Dair Cotarin"] - [member="Haytham Kaze"] - [member="Veino Garn"] - [member="Megan Rhymes"] - [member="Uri Aureleos"]​

 

[Jsc]

"Good afternoon, Knight Karr!"

Megan was 14 year old. Today she had come to call dressed in her brown robes to learn from a real Jedi Knight. Her practice saber hung at her side and she wore her big purple glasses proudly on her head. She had no idea what to expect. Perhaps only to say that whatever it was? It was going to be fun.

She stood at attention with a big broad smile. She could wait for introductions or jump right into the session. Either way was just fine by her.

[member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Uri Aureleos]

Spoiler

Eight. Eight days. Just over a week. That is how long Uri ago it was when Uri left Agamar and came to Ossus. Needless to say as far as adjusting Uri wasn't. Not like he expected too at least. He missed the monks on Agamar. The one's that raised him from a baby up through his twelve years of life. They were all he knew and now they slowly became a distant memory. His master warned him of the separation and attachment he would feel. He didn't cry for them but he did feel home sick.

The monks didn't prepare him for this. Ossus was similar to Agamar as far as climate but the academy was not his monastery. It was much larger and had way more people. To tell the truth, it overwhelmed Uri a bit so he kept mostly to himself and hid away. He didn't know how to correctly socialize so he didn't. Plus it didn't help that his bright golden skin often had adults and younglings alike staring at him. To say he was uncomfortable at his new home was an understatement, but he knew this was where he was suppose to be. He saw it after all.

He sat away from the rest of the class. In his hands, he held his journal. Leather bound with loose fit pages each one had a corner ripped from it. Some from the top corners. The others from the bottom. They represented the good and bad visions of his own future. A future he believed couldn't be changed despite the words of wisdom from his master. The force would prove wrong eventually. Some visions were as clear as memories to him. Others were as cryptic as the dreams they came in. He welcomed them however. They were puzzles he tried to solve. It never occurred to him that after he hit puberty the visions would soon be a distant past as well.

Uri eyes glanced up from his journal as the instructor came in giving his greeting. His eyes looked at the rest of the class that sat together - not noticing Uri at the moment. The golden skinned youngling wasn't bothered by it and instead he just went back to his journal thumbing through the pages.

[member="Megan Rhymes"] [member="Kian Karr"] [member="Dair Cotarin"] [member="Haytham Kaze"] [member="Veino Garn"]

 

[Haytham Kaze]

It had only been a few weeks for Haytham to have been a member of the Jedi Order. Or at least... Being an Initiate of the great ancestral Order. Nearly two months, he thought, and his Master was already Kiskla Grayson. The Jedi Grandmaster! He never would've thought a Jedi so renowned would take him on as a Padawan, but it happened, she was his Master, and he awaited the day he'd be Knighted by her in front of everyone!

The thoughts of his old home were left behind him, Dromund Kaas, Sith, farming, whatever it was that he was meant to be, all of it was left behind him and now he was going to make things right in the world. Of course as young as he was, it also came with the anxiety of not wanting to make himself look like a fool. He couldn't make mistakes, he had to be respected by his peers. What if someone realizes where I'm from? He exhaled slightly, he couldn't be found out, he was sure of it. Impossible, I never practiced it... In his mind he spoke of the Dark Side.

Although he had never practiced it, he had been exposed to it for his entire life. Fourteen years of his life, he was exposed to the Dark Side, no doubt the more aware Jedi would take notice of the faint aura that permeated from his presence.

But then, [member="Kian Karr"] arrived, and there was no more time for sulking.

He lowered himself into a bow, a respectful one. He already forgot about his past thoughts, and was ready to learn.

[member="Uri Aureleos"], [member="Megan Rhymes"], [member="Dair Cotarin"], [member="Veino Garn"]

 

[Veino Garn]

Spoiler

This is after Republic invasion of Empress Teta, correct? Not the Mandalorian one? Time to do some retconning then.

Veino scrutinized the corridors and rooms around him carefully. He had no idea where he was. Why did the Jedi have to such big buildings? The entire Jensaarai enclave would have fit in some of the places he'd seen here and there were floors that held more students than made up the entire Jensaarai order, even counting those stationed in other systems.

It was still strange, being here. So many brown robes and odd looks for not wearing one. Not to mention the more sensitive Jedi and perhaps the more orthodox Jedi gave him questioning looks as he was clearly Force sensitive and clear not a Jedi. Nor was he a new learner by any means, either. He was a full knight by this point already, and had been for some time. Not only that, be he was a full instructor and council member with the Order of the Grey. Not that he was here on their business. There were other reasons, more complicated, for being on Ossus. The One Sith had attacked them here and they would need all the extra assistance they could get, and he had experience with Sith. Army of Light, Fel Imperium, the betrayal of one of Grey. It was almost like his career had been a crusade.

Ah, voices! He turned and headed towards that room, pausing. It looked like there was a class going on. Younger students, as well, one of which had the faintest Dark side aura. Not used, but exposed. There were probably quite a few of those, actually, with the recent attack. He might have one as well. It'd interesting if that was true.

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

Marks approximate age: 7, possibly 6

It had been just under one week. A week ago, he'd still been living in the jungle alone, with no one to help him. Now, he was becoming something more than the lost little kid that he'd always remembered being. Yes, he was a little bit scared, he didn't know anyone here, and decided just to keep his head down and not mess with socialization. He'd always been a quieter kid. Of course, it was possible that was because he'd never had anyone to talk to since he could remember. Memory was such a delicate thing. It could be destroyed with one bump of the head, or brought back with a simple visual cue.
This would be the first time he'd visited the jedi academy on Ossus itself. For the past week, he'd been on Yavin IV, which was a forest moon like Generis was a jungle planet, so a change in scenery would be nice.
Now, he sat alone, waiting for class to begin. He was still slightly confused about what the whole force thing was, or how it applied to him, but he was sure he'd figure it out. He was a fast learner with most things.
And then, a very different looking figure walked in. He was humanoid, but he hadn't seen anything like him before. He wore a mask, and he had a much different tone in the skin than himself. Mark would have to learn quickly if he was to catch up with the others. Being isolated for as long as he could remember, he hadn't seen things that many thought to be normal, learned things that were just day to day knowledge to others. It was a whole new world to him.

 

[H3xle]

Dair's Age: 14 Height: 5'11"

Dair stepped into the classroom only a moment after Kian had. He took his place toward the back of the class, his awkward height at such a young age made it so being in the back was the only fair place for him to be. Otherwise, he'd occlude the vision of those behind him. Dair had arrived at the academy only a couple of years before, he had been rescued from a life of slavery that had already taken Dair's previous decade of life. The jedi who had rescued him was a non descript shadow who simply went by the name Cotarin. Not remembering his family, home planet or surname, Dair had taken to using the Shadow's name as his own surname, introducing himself as Dair Cotarin.

Through the past couple of years, Dair had seen more masters than most his age. He went to healers for counseling sessions, even a pair of years past his rescue and with no other hardship having happened, Dair was still plagued by nightmares that caused him to wake, screaming and crying, in the middle of the night. Every session would work for a week or two, but then the nightmares resurfaced. It had now come to pass that Dair would spend at least three hours a day in the meditation pavilions working on various meditative techniques, followed by a daily regimen of lightsaber training. Master Von Carlo was instructing the large for his age padawan in both Form I and Form V. Everyone learned Form I, but Form V was more conducive to the powerful muscles that were already growing of their own accord across Dair's body, and it would allow for greater expulsion of emotional energy. At this point, it had been several days since the last nightmare, and for once Dair looked refreshed from a full night of sleep.

When Dair reached the back of the room, he bowed and mumbled an apology for being late. He had never met Knight Karr before, had only seen other Kel Dor from afar, and was worried that if he opened his mouth too wide, impertinent curiosity would tumble from the large padawans mouth. Instead, Dair merely kept his eyes on the Knight. Dair's gaze was already penetrating, though purely in a curios way. Nightmares and evil done to him were not dissuading this young man from his curiosity, nor his determination to train and prove himself to be worthy of the Jedi. Perhaps, one day, he would have a Jedi Master to train him and help him craft his own Saber.




[member="Kian Karr"] [member="Uri Aureleos"], [member="Megan Rhymes"], [member="haytham kaze"], [member="Veino Garn"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian turned and watched the last of the students arrive and when he did he caught a glimpse of another Jedi standing outside the door. It was clear from his outfit that he wasn't a typical visitor to the Order and he certainly wasn't a padawan, judging from his force presence. Kian bowed his head to him and indicated that he could join him if he'd like.

Turning back to the class, Kian clasped his hands behind his back and bowed at the waist.

"I am Jedi Knight Kian Karr." Kian said, his voice deep and static from the antiox mask. "Today we are going to talk about battle." Kian said smiling behind his mask, the nervousness starting to fade.

"The Jedi are dedicated to a peaceful Galactic Republic and fighting injustice." Kian said pacing in front of the room. "I've been asked by the Council to take my recent experiences with combat and talk with each of you about it."

"Much of the education you receive here at the Jedi Academy pertains to understanding the force and wielding your lightsaber.....but it doesn't deal with how to deal with taking a life....or how to deal with watching soldiers fall around you." Kian said sighing.

"Today, I want to allow you the chance to ask questions about face an enemy in battle and to share with you my experiences....humble though they are. I was a padawan just the other day." Kian said shrugging. "I know how you feel."

[member="Dair Cotarin"] - [member="Mark Sage"] - [member="Veino Garn"] - [member="Haytham Kaze"] - [member="Uri Aureleos"] - [member="Megan Rhymes"]​

 

[Jsc]

Oh. This lesson. Megan nodded her head and pursed her lips. She didn't need this lesson. Rhymes was going to grow up to be a real Jedi Knight. She wasn't going to fight or kill anybody. War was for the soldiers. The Jedi did the healing, the growing, the sciences, and the infrastructure. Maybe a little preaching too. No. Megan was instantly bored by this topic. War was not the domain of the Jedi Knights. And it certainly wasn't going to be her domain either.

Indeed. She decided to look around the room and notice everyone else who had arrived. Big and small. Old and young. The Jedi Order never lacked for diversity. It was it's own little microcosmic sphere of the universe at large. Representing all species and taking the best strengths of each of them. Sharing the weaknesses and learning from intergalactic mistakes. It was no wonder the Jedi Order had some of the best diplomats around. Every single Jedi got to learn about the wider universe just from going to class each day. Interacting with each other. Learning from each other. Growing up very very fast. And? What the Master's couldn't teach by example, the Force usually did the rest.

No. Megan remained standing. Tall, robust, and bored. Leave it to a 14 year old to wrinkle her nose and think she knew better.

[member="Kian Karr"]

 

[Veino Garn]

Veino caught the nod from [member="Kian Karr"] and invitation. He considered for a few moments and then stepped in, returning the nod, and taking a seat along the edge of the room, lounging against the wall. This would be interesting. Not that he needed this class. He'd been in battles before and watched soldiers fall and children slaughtered. As far as he could tell, the One Sith weren't the genocidal murderers of innocents the old Sith Empire had been. The One Sith had yet to try to enslave an entire species and exterminate those left free. As far as wars went, this one was fairly tame so far.

But he didn't want to speak too much in this. That would be awkward, upstaging a teacher, and Togoria wasn't exactly his proudest moment. He still woke up soaked in sweat and terrified, feeling those claws rip through his face and scrape along his teeth. He usually didn't sleep the rest of those nights. He'd started a garden on the temple grounds as a way to cope. It was soothing and bathed in the Light, it eased away the pain and shakes. He might have some reason to leave early in this one. Or not. Only the Force could tell. He'd just have to wait and see.

One of the girls didn't seem impressed. Confident, so sure of herself. He let himself have a small, sad smile. Ah, to be young and naive again. Before life happened and your friends died and that idealism shattered beneath the grinding wheels of the galaxy. Pacifism was the quickest way to allow evil to succeed, even if its cost was high.

 

[H3xle]

Unlike [member="Megan Rhymes"], Dair knew that his place among the Jedi, were he ever to truly become one, would be in battle, defending the galaxy from the depredations of evil. Dair's attention was raptly engaged on the Knight before him, it was a Knight not to dissimilar from this Kel Dor who had saved Dair, brought him forth from the slavery that had bound him and taken him to Ossus, aside from the racial difference.

Thus, Dair did not notice Megan's typical teenage antics, nor the Grey Knight, [member="Veino Garn"], step in. Dair was somewhere between waiting for [member="Kian Karr"]'s next words and fighting back the memories that had plagued his nights for years and before that his days as well.

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian waited to see if anyone had anything to add to the comments he'd made, and when the class remained quiet, he pushed on. It seemed some were very interested in the notion of the discussion and that others were less so....but he hoped to draw them in before the class was over.

"I was raised, from a young age, among the Baran Do of Dorin." Kian said stepping forward and slowly pacing before the class. "Much of my life was dedicated to the life of a monk. We were far less martial than the Jedi Order is. Any combat training was wooden staff fighting....and very little else."

"My days were spent studying books and meditating." Kian said shaking his head and a part of him missing those days. "When I came to the Jedi, I quickly found myself on the plans of Carida....fighting One Sith soldiers." Kian said, remembering all the death and destruction of that battle. Kian had killed for the first time on that battlefield and it took a great deal of meditation and insight to come to terms with it.

"When I first took a life.....it didn't hit me until after the battle." Kian said stopping his pacing and turning to the students. "It weighed heavily upon me for some time."

[member="Dair Cotarin"] - [member="Mark Sage"] - [member="Veino Garn"] - [member="Haytham Kaze"] - [member="Uri Aureleos"] - [member="Megan Rhymes"]​

 

[Uri Aureleos]

Uri's small face lifted from his journal as Knight [member="Kian Karr"] mentioned being a monk as well. The statement caught Uri off gaurd. He assumed there were other monks in the galaxy, the monks of his temple took pilgrimages to other temples after all, but he never expected to find more among the Jedi. From what he understood most trained from a young age. Uri had more in common with the instructor than he realized. He closed his journal tying the string back around it to hold the pages in it. He then placed it back into the folds of his robes.

Knight Karr now had Uri's attention. He watched the instructor pace as Uri also tried to read the expression on his face. It was difficult with the breathing mask he wore. Still Uri could tell by the tone of his voice what the expression under the mask probably was. Uri couldn't imagine taking a life. He was only twelve after all and a pacifist on top of that. That didn't mean he wouldn't fight, but he wouldn't fight to kill. He couldn't imagine the anguish of removing someone from the galaxy for good.

[member="Dair Cotarin"] [member="Veino Garn"] [member="Megan Rhymes"] [member="Mark Sage"] [member="Haytham Kaze"]

 

[H3xle]

Dair's face was solemn as he watched and listened to Knight Karr speak. Dair had not seen battle yet at this point, but from his point of view the galaxy was at war with itself and there was no way to avoid battle without secluding oneself from the galaxy. He knew he would serve the Jedi in a warriors capacity, he already had the height and weight that most adult humans would be jealous of, and the med techs said that he would likely grow more before he reached his full height. Dair didn't know what he was, he'd thought he was human but so far as he knew there wee no humans that were naturally much taller than he, let alone as tall as the med techs said he would get.

Dair also knew that he would likely have to take a life some day, and while he did feel a small thrill at the prospect of testing his prowess against anothers, he was morbidly afraid of taking a life. He knew that it was wrong, as wrong as what the slavers had done to him, and he never wanted to be like them. He never wanted to be comfortable with taking a life.




[member="uri aureleos"] [member="Veino Garn"] [member="Megan Rhymes"] [member="Mark Sage"] [member="Haytham Kaze"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian looked around at the group and smiled beneath his mask. They were all so....young. So full of that innocence that youth brought, unless that youth was fraught with peril and hardship. Kian had been like many of them, young and innocent, but all that ended rather abruptly on the plans of Carida.

"There are occasions when you have no choice but to draw your weapon in the defense of others." Kian said shrugging and stepping forward. "But there are times when you can resolve the issue without violence." Kian said raising his hand and pointing a finger skyward to emphasize the point.

"This is called Form Zero." Kian said, pausing to allow them to remember the name. "It isn't a lightsaber form as much as it is a lesson in control and forethought."

"Each and ever time you pull your lightsaber, you represent the Jedi Order....you are an example to those who witness you. What sort of an example will you be?"

"Will you be the sort of Jedi who leaps into battle with no concern for the lives you put at risk....or the sort of Jedi who knows that his or her actions have consequences?" Kian asked, his voice stern.

[member="Dair Cotarin"] - [member="Mark Sage"] - [member="Veino Garn"] - [member="Haytham Kaze"] - [member="Uri Aureleos"] - [member="Megan Rhymes"]​

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot felt the heavy hilt of his old master's saber in his young hands. Mere months ago, he would have never really thought of pondering such a question. He grasped the cold hilt of the saber, hoping to feel some sort of reassuring presence of his master, but while the past memories they shared came to mind, the feelings did not. But he felt he had heard part of this before. What did he call it, Form Zero? He shook his head, not entirely sure if that was the exact term, even if he grasped parts of the concept. He knew that the mere presence of an activated lightsaber could send opponents of the light fleeing, even if it was out of fear for their own lives. From other perspectives, he knew that the jedi's lightsaber represented hope to the innocent and the citizens of the Republic.

Yet he was certain that standing among the padawans would be a wealth of varying viewpoints, even if they might share common threads. They were all jedi, were they not? Their way of life would likely contribute some unity to their thoughts. He cleared his throat as his fingers curled around the hilt of his saber.

"Our actions have consequences," started Ravenna, "even what may seem like a small choice to us can have lasting impacts of the lives of countless others, whether they are our friends, our enemies, or people that just happen to be around us. Knight Karr, or any of those with us today, do you have any wisdom to impart to us on making the choices to get us to the right consequences or outcomes?"

[member="Kian Karr"] | [member="Dair Cotarin"] | [member="Veino Garn"] | [member="Haytham Kaze"] | [member="Uri Aureleos"] | [member="Megan Rhymes"]

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian crossed a hand over his chest and bowed his head toward Jedi Ravenna as he spoke as a thank you for the excellent question. It was certainly true that their actions had consequences and they would quickly find that, as Jedi, the options they sometimes had to choose from were not ideal.

"I would tell you to trust in the force and your instincts." Kian said shrugging apologetically at such a simplistic answer, but it was a truthful statement. If one trusted in the force and their instincts as Jedi they would find that they often made a decision they could be proud of. It was when one acted on doubt or out of fear that they often found themselves with profound regret. "And when there doesn't seem to be an answer immediately available to you.....to at least strive to do what is right. To do what feels right."

"I'll give you an example of this." Kian said pacing in the front of the group. "I was present for the invasion of Empress Teta. While there I fought with a Mon Cal Sith. He and I were both injured but I had gained the upper hand.....but I had a choice. I could take the Sith into custody, but leave behind an injured ally or I could take the ally and leave the Sith." Kian said letting out a deep breath.

"I made the choice to save my fellow Jedi, and it is a decision I believe was right."

[member="Travot Ravenna"] - [member="Dair Cotarin"] - [member="Mark Sage"] - [member="Veino Garn"] - [member="Haytham Kaze"] - [member="Uri Aureleos"] - [member="Megan Rhymes"]​

 

[H3xle]

Dair looked around as some in the room asked questions or offered insights and Knight Karr responded to them. Some in the room seemed to have a great deal more combat experience, or general experience, than Dair did. He had plenty of memories of violence, subjugation and violation, but those were all personal memories, the only ones involved were Dair and whoever was his slavemaster. Dair had trained in some combat arts, but the Masters and other instructors were worried about him. They saw him, saw into his past, and wondered if he would fall to the dark side. There was to much force sensitivity in Dair to simply turn him loose, and he hadn't done a single thing wrong since he got here to warrant imprisonment.

Dair relished touching the force, he loved the feeling of love and life that flowed through the light side, and he knew, despite the worries of the master's, that he would never succumb to the depredations of the dark side. He had lived through them, and he had every wish to end such depredations.

Trust in the force. He could do that, it had helped to save him, to bring him here. He could trust it.



[member="Kian Karr"] | [member="travot ravenna"] | [member="Veino Garn"] | [member="Haytham Kaze"] | [member="Uri Aureleos"] | [member="Megan Rhymes"]

 

[Jsc]

The labor of education is bitter but the fruit is sweet. Megan could nod her head and follow along as the group spoke and thought together. Necessity was something should could understand. Preparing for it seemed only wisdom. Perhaps there was some truth in the old Echani thought that preparation for battle was simply preparation for life. Conflict was the essence of the universe, after all. Light and dark. Fate and destiny. Choose and choose alike. She would need to ponder such thoughts more closely.

Fickle is youth however. To be fourteen and be able to grasp the far truths of the galaxy, was near and far beyond her merits. Tomorrow her mind would drift away from the gravity of war and lean more upon her love of gardens and silken garments. Megan would delight in good food and good company. Leaving such heavy thoughts for broader shoulders. This was not so much a failing of youth, but a moderation in all things. Never did a seed become a giant oak overnight. All evolutions must come through time.

Rhymes pursed her lips and stood up straight. She was already thinking about lunch.

 

[OriginsoftheJedi]

Mark was still confused by what he was hearing. He understood that letting an enemy go to save a friend was better than condemning then both, but some of the words Master Karr used were meaningless to him. What was a Sith? Or Mon Cal? And really, Mark was still confused by the concept of an invisible Force that surrounded us, penetrated us, and bound the universe together. Or at least, that's what he'd been told it was.
When the jedi had taken him in a mere week ago, Mark just kind of went with it. If someone had wanted him to be a part of something, almost a family they'd told him, then he was definitely ok with that. He never had had anyone to do that before. Before now though, he'd never heard of any of these foreign words. Being alone in the jungle and not remembering hardly anything besides how to read, how to write, and most of all, how to survive, didn't exactly have it's perks.
Mark wondered whether or not it was impolite to ask such questions at a class about battle. In the end, he decided against asking and instead sat listening intently, hoping his facial expressions didn't reveal his confusion to the others... Or that they couldn't read his mind like the masters could.
[member="Kian Karr"]
[member="Uri Aureleos"]
[member="Dair Cotarin"]
[member="Megan Rhymes"]
[member="Travot Ravenna"]