Rethel34

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Jedi Templar (ACCEPTING)

Aw, that sucks. See you around, though, @Ozerath

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Jedi Templar (ACCEPTING)

Collab: @Roosan, @Midori, and @Rethel34

Once again, Alek found himself approached by one who had questions. But this one was different. He hadn't heard the entirety of Alek's speech. "Allow me to enlighten you," Alek said calmly. "Certainly by now you are aware of the atrocities reaped on Taris and other Outer Rim planets on part of the Mandalorians, correct?"

Stadak nodded gravely. "Very much so, I am returning from the Republic's borders, where things are extremely unsettled. But you did not answer my question, Alek. I am eager to hear you set my fears to rest and tell me that the council has approved you recruiting knights for a mission to the Outer Rim."

"Unfortunately, the Council would rather us abandon our duty of protecting the innocent in this conflict. That is why we act. We cannot continue to allow these Mandalorians to act out of line as they have. Not only are innocent men, women, and children being killed, but even our own members are being cut down. If this continues, they will have reached Coruscant in little time. That is why, with or without the Council's permission, we must act."

For a few moments, Stadak seemed almost speechless. Who could doubt the wisdom of the council? Surely even the most eager knight would rather give the council time to act than rush off on an unsanctioned crusade. Was he the only one who studied history, who knew where these roads led?

"Knight Alek, I must profess disbelief. You cannot mean to defy the wishes of the council simply because they have not acted yet? The council are not unfeeling and nor are they blind, they know of the crimes that have been committed on Taris. There is not a doubt in my mind that the council means to put a stop to the Mandalorian menace. Surely it is better to wait, to follow the will of those wiser and more senior than ourselves?"

At this, Revan broke his silence. "You should have seen the way they reacted when I pleaded with them to save the Republic from the Mandalorians. They truly believe this to be a conflict to be overlooked. Something not worth the time of the Jedi."

"My friend has never told me a lie," Alek added, "and I doubt he would do so to you. We are taught against chaos and emotion, yet these Mandalorians spread the very things that, as Jedi, we are to detest. Tell me, is allowing these people to spread hatred throughout the galaxy--is this the peace the Jedi seek?"

"There is no emotion, there is peace" murmured Stadak as he felt the coiling shape of Revan's emotions, so strong it was almost intoxicating. Anger, frustration, a desire for justice, they wrapped in on each other like a nest of vipers. "I will speak to the council myself, Knight Revan. I cannot believe they are as against protecting the Republic as you say. And if they are... We will talk again." Without another word, Stadak took off up the steps at a fast pace, almost a run.

Taiko had remained silent through the ordeal but Revan's words spoke to her on a level she understood greatly. It made sense in her mind for the Jedi to involve themselves and stop the Mandalorian war machine. Stadak took off in a way that almost seemed to be aggressive, which was unusual. She had never known him to be irrational or swayed by his emotions. In fact he was such a stoic figure sometimes that it made her uncomfortable. She did her best to keep pace. "But Master, doesn't it make sense for us to mobilize at the very least to alleviate casualties on Taris? How can we call ourselves peacekeepers if we don't keep the peace? Our own Order has suffered because of this menace, there has to be something we can do!"

Almost to his own surprise, Stadak felt a stab of irritation at his Padawan's questions, not least because he agreed with almost everything she said. He quashed the feeling and recited the Jedi teachings for a few moments. "I do not feel that Knight Revan or Knight Alek are wrong in their intentions, they want to stem a tide of invasion and save lives. But the council are wise and have no doubt thought through their decision. I can't believe, will not believe, that they would have our order sit by and watch the Outer Rim burn." Not until they say so themselves, he added silently.

The Knight and his apprentice stepped past a youngling and into the elevator. The council's chamber was located at the very top of the Temple. Looking down at Taiko, Stadak asked, "What do you know of Taris, my Padawan?"

She thought for a moment. "Actually, very little. Only that it's in the Outer Rim and that it's been under attack from the Mandalorians recently. Up until we've been together I've lived my life here at the Temple. I've heard stories about the things they've been doing. None of it sounded pleasant." In fact she had tried her best not to think about it. The idea that sentient beings can willingly destroy each other was a terribly depressing thought. It was times like this that she wished she could be as calm and collected as her Master. He always seemed to have everything together, which was a stark contrast to herself, whom she felt was only ever hanging together by a thread.

"Taris is a planet much like Coruscant, only younger. It too is covered in a sprawling city, though I understand the lower levels are even worst than our own fair city. A cosmopolitan place in some respects but with a lingering xenophobic element among the planet's human citizens. With the Mandalorians sieging the planet, I have no doubt that such sentiments will only increase in the coming months." Stadak let his mouth list a few facts about Taris while he calmed himself. No emotion, peace.

"So many thousands of people, trapped on that world with no hope of escape. Left to fend for themselves. Why would the Council hesitate to act? I know they're great Masters but... Is there something we don't know? Some reason they're hiding that they don't want us to know about? The council wouldn't do that would they? Keep secrets?" She couldn't imagine that the Jedi Council, being such a benevolent Order would keep it's own members in the dark about something so great that it would keep them from saving lives.

"Taris is not defenseless Taiko, nor is the Republic. There is a Republic Navy and army for a reason, Padawan. Still, the mandalorians live for battle, to prove themselves in the theatre of war, and I doubt the Republic forces will be able to do more than slow them down without the intervention of our order. And as for secrets... I do not believe that the Council would keep secrets from the Knights of the order," said Stadak, carefully not mentioning that some things needed to be kept from Padawans for their own good. With a hiss, the elevator doors opened to reveal the doors to the Council chamber.

Stepping forward, Stadak looked to his apprentice with a trace of apology in his face and voice. "I am afraid you will have to wait here Taiko, I will tell you what the Council informs me when I return." With that, he turned and nodded to the door guards. Within a few moments, he was admitted to the room and the doors slid shut behind him with an ominous snap.

Complying with her Master's instruction she sat down on a bench in the hall and made every attempt to make an audible 'hmpf' as she sat. It was rather annoying to still be treated as a child at the Temple despite no longer being an initiate. She had spent so many years of her life here that she practically knew everyone by name. Still, she understood that her inexperience might 'lead her to act on her emotion' as she was often reminded. It was frustrating to live by such a contraditory code sometimes. You have to be compassionate to all living things but also emotionless and completely rational. You have all this power and can tap into the Force, the single most powerful... force... in the universe, but must do your best never to have to use it. Being a Jedi is hard... She thought.

As the doors closed, the Council turned their attention to the Knight who had entered. "Knight Stadak," Grand Master Nomi Sunrider addressed, "How was your expedition to Null? Was everything productive?"

"Indeed Master, the mission proceeded as well as can be expected. Null is a beautiful planet, full of undocumented life forms. When circumstances are otherwise, I hope to return there. I saw some things that caused me to worry, however, both on Null and here at the temple, so I must ask you; what does the council intend to do about the Mandalorian invasion?" Stadak mastered the growing dread inside himself and waited for an answer he now feared he would not like.

"Would you imply that the Mandalorians are a direct enemy to the Jedi?" asked Dorjander Kace, who had always seemed to sympathize with the Mandalorians.

Stadak went to shake his head and then paused for thought. "Not in so many words, Master. I do not believe that the Republic forces will be able to do more than slow their advance down but it will take them many years to advance to Coruscant and the Inner Rim. They are an undeniable threat to the people of the Outer Rim and the Republic itself."

---

As the meeting commenced Taiko sat uncomfortably on the bench staring at the two guards by the elevator door. She had already begun incessantly swinging her legs and trying her best to imagine the Council sitting in their fancy chairs with her Master lecturing them on the various oh so exciting species of flora and fauna before finally getting to the point. If there was one thing her Master wasw good at it was boring you to tears with information you'll never need to know about alien beetles and rare invertibrates. The two guards seemed somehow content to stand still forever. "So how has your day been?" Neither of them budged. "Any hot young Padawans catch your eye?" She tussled her hair a bit hoping to fish a compliment but again neither of them moved. Suddenly one of them glanced her way for a moment! It was a small victory at least but still they were as statues.

---

"However, this conflict is just that: a war for the Republic to fight," the hologram of Lucien Draay explained.

"We cannot fight their wars for them. We have told others this, as well: we are to be peacekeepers, not warriors," Master Kavar continued. "When a conflict escalates beyond standard diplomacy, the Jedi must step back and allow things to progress as the Force would have it."

"But... the people of the Outer Rim are being slaughtered, Master." It took some effort to keep his voice level, but Stadak's tone remained level and his face locked in an expression of reasoned objection. "The Mandalorians kill those too weak to fight and forcibly recruit the rest. Surely it is not the will of the force to let the Republic fall to be replaced by a bastard Mandalorian empire, nor can it be the will of the Council."

"We cannot allow our Jedi to be ruled by their emotions. Going to war would invite this upon us. The Mandalorians once served Exar Kun, and were far from a threat to the Republic. To believe that they have become one now is impossible," Vrook said, his voice as angry as always. "Warring against them would only lead to the Dark Side for the Jedi."

"The Jedi Council has already made up its mind on this matter," Atris interjected. "The Republic is to fight its own war, and the Jedi will not interfere. Why do you question us?"

"Because I, like you Master Atris, have studied the chronicles of history. These events are not unseen before today, the Republic has been threatened before and the Jedi have risen to defend it without the Order falling into chaos. So too have Jedi gone to war without the blessing of the Council and fallen. I do not understand how the Council can condone standing by when the lessons of history tell us that we must move to defend the Republic with the full force of the Order." Stadak pulled back from going into full monologue lecture mode, but barely.

"Our decision on this matter is final," Master Sunrider stated. "You have stated your case, and we, ours. You are dismissed, Stadak."

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Jedi Templar (ACCEPTING)

@Korkoa That'll work. Go ahead and post it in the CS Tab and feel free to post IC anytime :)

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Jedi Templar (ACCEPTING)

@Roosan Here's the collab page. @Midori if you'd like to have your Padawan char speak during this, feel free to join in.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Jedi Templar (ACCEPTING)

@Korkoa I don't know if "skilled" is the appropriate choice of word for his ability in those powers. The only noted Jedi who used Fold Space were Skywalkers, whose bloodline is powerful in the Force anyway, and a guy who spent a good portion of his life with the Aing-Tii (who commonly practiced it), and with the power of Teleport, it seems the only noted practitioners were masters in some form. This leads me to believe that these would otherwise be somewhat difficult to master.

I'm also not sure if his parents sneaking into the temple would happen. You've got a massive structure full of Force Sensitives to sneak past, and then the issue is finding him if they aren't a part of the Order. At this point in time, the Jedi Order also hasn't enforced the infant induction. Instead, young children are allowed, so being four at the time of being found is not uncommon. Maybe expand on his master being loose about these things and allowing him to study certain forbidden arts so he won't fear them?

Lastly, could I ask that your character be on Coruscant for the moment? Only reason I have my Mirialan and Shistavanen characters on Taris is to give some time before they join Revan's ranks, as I have a number of other NPCs to control right now and throwing these two in the mix could be detrimental. Everyone is still at Alek's rally, and I feel many of the characters should have a chance to meet each other and get to know each other before we're thrown into the heat of battle. Once the Victory Saber arrives, I'll leave it up to you as far as whether or not you want to take your freighter separately or have it docked with the Saber. Don't worry, though. Taris is our first destination.

Mostly, it's nitpicky stuff, but I think that's everything. Fix these things and everything should be alright.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Jedi Templar (ACCEPTING)

@Korkoa Come on in! IDK anything about a site to design a lightsaber. Usually I just hunt sites like DeviantArt for any images I need.

EDIT: Try saberparts.com; looks like as good a place as any. They have TONS of possible designs.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Jedi Templar (ACCEPTING)

The following characters will join the party when we reach Taris

Lorianne Jekurra

Lorianne Jekurra

Female; Mirialan; Jedi Master (Jedi Shadow); Age 37

Personality: An aggressive Jedi, Lorianne is fierce in battle, using her natural speed to overwhelm opponents with flurries of attacks. She enjoys the thrill of battle, and many times finds herself looking for a challenge. Even so, she is merciful, and refuses to outright kill any of her enemies if it should be avoidable. A few times, she has met members of the Echani race, and admires them to the point of adopting their beliefs system on combat: That a battle is a conversation between the two combatants. As a result, Lorianne is very soft-spoken otherwise, preferring to spar than to negotiate.

As a Jedi Master, she is a difficult teacher to learn from, her teachings being harsh (she learned to act so due to her Echani Jedi Master), yet they have produced two steadfast and capable Knights already in her time. Despite not being lenient during spars, she has also shown herself to be compassionate and protective of her Padawans. She does not demand her students to respect her, believing respect is something she should show them before they can respect her. This belief has proven effective, as only one instance has ever occurred of her needing to take disciplinary action to correct one of her Padawans.

While her agressive tendencies in battle have been frowned upon by the Council, they do not discount the effectiveness of her teaching. However, with her life on Taris and witnessing the assaults of the Mandalorians firsthand, she has earned less praise from them due to her disagreement with the Council's decision on neutrality.

Biography: Taken from her parents and her homeworld by the Jedi Council when she was too young to remember, Lorianne's only memories are of her time with the Jedi. Unlike the majority of the Jedi, who were raised at Coruscant, Lorianne was raised on Taris in the Jedi Tower. She succeeded in passing the Initiate Trials at the age of 12 with the construction of her first lightsaber: A yellow-bladed shoto. From there, she moved on from her study of the first lightsaber form, Shii-Cho, and on to the study of one she considered more effective: the fourth form, Ataru. However, her desire to constantly press the offensive and a belief that one had to land the first strike in battle was soon proven wrong by her Master, a skilled practitioner of Soresu and one of the most influential Echani in her life. Her Master repeatedly fended off her attacks, teaching her that in order to win, she had to practice finding weak points in her opponent's stance rather than striking blindly and rapidly.

Her overconfidence was eventually shattered, but never did she adopt a defeatist attitude. She continually pressed her training until she found the weakness in her Master's pattern. However, finding it was only half the battle. The next step was to take advantage of it. After much practice, she was finally able to break through her Master's defenses and end a spar in a draw rather than her defeat. With being able to do so, her Master insisted she spend time studying how to defend now, rather than simply attack. Thus, she began learning the ways of Soresu from him, despite preferring the Ataru form still.

This training would later be put to the test when she reached the age of 20. In the Upper City, a mechanical mishap caused a virus to be spread to multiple droids, including many working in the Jedi Tower. As a result, the infected droids began to attack anything organic. Though she had planned to undergo the Jedi Trials soon, she did not realize that she would in fact be tackling all five Trials in such a rapid series of events.

As the droid uprising began, Lorianne was immediately put to the test when her Master took the blast of a thermal detonator at point blank range. The blast killed her Master, and while she did not suffer the total effects of the blast, she was heavily burned and injured. Wearily, she rose to her feet, seeing the charred corpse of her Master.

The Trial of Flesh.

At the sight, Lorianne was overcome with emotion and retreated, finding a remote part of the Upper City as her feelings flooded her mind. Feelings of hatred soon followed, and she was forced to come face-to-face with the darkest parts of her being. Realizing the path she was starting on, she meditated in the Force, and in the end, overcame her darkest emotions.

The Trial of Spirit.

Continuing to meditate, she was able to reach out through the Force and find the exact location of the disturbance that was causing the uprising. As her Master had tried so hard to teach her: She had to see her opponents for what they truly were before striking. Only then could she attain victory. In locating the malfunctioning droid, she had overcome yet the third trial of that day:

The Trial of Insight.

Knowing there were few who likely knew of this weakness, Lorianne had to overcome the feelings of fear she felt and face her enemy. Rising to her feet, she marched back to the battlefield of a city to confront the enemy. Following the guidance of the Force, she fought through wave after wave of droids, unfaltering and pressing onward to the source of the disturbance.

The Trial of Courage.

After fighting her way through the malfunctioning droids, she found her target: A sentinel droid commander equipped with a communications projector intended to give orders to other security droids throughout the city. Its protocols had been tampered with to the point it considered all organics to be violations of security, and was broadcasting this protocol to all droids in the Upper City. After figuring this out, Lorianne fought using the Form II skills taught to her by her Master, but being inexperienced in the Form, she was unable to use it to properly close the gap between her and her opponent. Instead, one of the droid's blaster bolts struck her lightsaber's hilt, damaging it and disarming her. Without a weapon, Lorianne was now forced to rely on the Force alone.

Using the power of the Force, she augmented her already great agility, dodging a continuous barrage of blaster bolts unleashed from the droid's blaster carbine. As she weaved around the assault, she slowly closed the gap, waiting for the moment in which she could disarm the droid. When the moment came, she delivered a swift kick, sending the droid reeling and removing the blaster from its grasp. Taking the droids blaster, she fired a blast into the communications relay on its back, ending its malfunctioning transmission, the droid uprising, and also her Jedi Trials through the Trial of Skill.

Lorianne was soon Knighted and granted an apprentice following the construction of her second lightsaber: A double-bladed weapon containing a blue crystal. Even with her ascension in rank, she never ceased striving for improvement. For Force training, she devoted her time to the skills known as Shatterpoint and Force Cloak. In Lightsaber combat, she continued practicing the third form, Soresu, in honor of her Master, as well as learning the seventh form, Juyo.

Over the next years, she would train not just one, but two apprentices, the second achieving Knighthood only days before the first of the Mandalorians' most devastating attacks: The raid of Taris. Lorianne and the other Tarisian Jedi assisted the Republic in the battle, and while they succeeded in repelling the invaders, Taris was devastated. Many Tarisian Jedi were killed, including the majority of the younglings on-planet. However, Lorianne volunteered to take one of the few surviving Jedi Initiates under her wing; a Shistavanen Initiate named Andyr Kravhenn.

* When at last Revan arrived on Taris with his Jedi Templar in tow, she realized there may be hope for the galaxy, and sharing their opinions on their duties to protect the Republic, she readily joined them.

* - This section has not yet occurred IC.

Abilities and Equipment: Lorianne is proficient in the lightsaber forms Ataru and Juyo, with some skill in Soresu and Shii-Cho. She is also a practitioner of Shatterpoint, a Force Power in which a Jedi detects the weakest point in something (such as armor), and uses the Force to literally shatter the target. Further, she can use the power of the Force to conceal herself from her enemies, rendering her invisible to the naked eye. This power, while not her most notable strength, is augmented by a Stygium focusing crystal she placed inside her lightsaber.

She, like many Jedi, carries little with her. She has 4000 Credits to take care of both her and Andyr, as well as her double-bladed lightsaber and her black Jedi robes. Otherwise, she keeps only a viridian color crystal that had once belonged to her Master.

Andyr Kravhenn

Andyr with his Master's lightsaber

Andyr Kravhenn

Male; Shistavanen; Jedi Initiate; Age 7

Personality: Andyr, as is natural for a child his age, is curious about a great many things. This curiosity is coupled with shy tendencies spurred from the natural xenophobia of his species. This shyness was further amplified when the Mandalorians conducted the Raid on Taris and ended the lives of so many of his companions. As a result, he is slow to trust, being terrified of anyone he is not familiar with. When at last his Master earned his trust, he became greatly attached to her, viewing her as a mother figure many times instead of a Master.

Biography: Andyr began his training as a youngling on Taris, under Jedi Master Krynda Draay. However, at some point during this training, she took another clan of Initiates to Ilum to teach them to build their own lightsabers. During her absence from Taris, the Mandalorians attacked. In the midst of the battle, a group of Mandalorians entered the Jedi Tower and made their way to a chamber where many Initiates were hiding. Before any other Jedi could arrive to help, the Mandalorians had killed the majority of the Initiates, with Andyr being the only one remaining in his clan. When the battle ended, Andyr was taken under the protection of Master Lorianne Jekurra, who slowly worked at earning the youngling's trust until he viewed her as a mother.

Abilities and Equipment: Due to only being at the Initiate stage, Andyr only has knowledge of the Shii-Cho form, and has not yet developed any particularly outstanding abilities. For equipment, he has a green-bladed training lightsaber and a set of Jedi Robes.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Jedi Templar (ACCEPTING)

Ok. They each have their ups and downs; TitanPad is prone to "crashing" but has a better chat; GDocs is fairly reliable and far less likely to crash, but has a really poor chat in comparison. I've used both, and still don't know which I prefer. XD

I'll prolly try to post my characters soon. I hadn't initially planned on making two personal chars, but I have some neat ideas.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Jedi Templar (ACCEPTING)

@Roosan Will do. Which do you prefer: TitanPad or Google Docs (that way I know which to set up)?

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic: Jedi Templar (ACCEPTING)

So what time tomorrow? 4 PM your time sound good?