#rajivari

[swtorpadawan]

Ten Facts About Ulannium Kaarz

I wasn’t actually tagged to do one of these for Ulannium, but I started putting this together as a sort of case-study for him, and it seemed to make sense to do this. Tagging the following people just in case they want to do this for one of their own OCs: @raven-of-domain-kwaad @anchanted-one @actualanxiousswampwitch @grandninjamasterren @sullustangin @cyraniadebergerac @starrypawz @intheinkpot @voidendron @lanabenikosdoormat @dragons-bones @clifford-telegenic @cryo-lily

Fact One – Parentage and Early Childhood: Ulannium Kaarz was born on Coruscant, the son of Ishris Kaarz, his mother, a brilliant research scientist with a Republic pharmaceutical conglomerate, and Luncib Kaarz, his father, a marketing executive and lobbyist with the same company. Both of his parents were very affectionate, Ishits especially. Although she worked long hours, his mother always made time for her son at bedtime, first by singing him Mirialan lullabies, and later by reading to him, fictional stories at first but later more advanced texts such as scientific manuals. Years later, Ulannium would credit his mother’s efforts (and her genetics) with the development of his impressive intellect. By chance, Ulannium’s Force sensitivity was not discovered until he was already six years old. (Possibly a result of his mother’s interference in the screening process.) By then, he was already academically precocious in the extreme, devouring books far beyond his age-level. When he was selected by the Jedi and told he might one day gain access to the full wealth of the Jedi Archives, Ulannium was thrilled at the opportunity. Indeed, if he had an ambition at this point, it would have been to spend the rest of his life in the galaxy’s greatest library. Ulannium had a younger sister, Tharia, who was possibly even more curious about the universe than he. As she was four at the time, he regarded her as a pest who kept stealing his scientific holopads. When the Jedi tested her for Force-sensitivity, it came back negative, much to the relief of her parents who were already giving up a son.

Art by @theoasiswinds

Fact Two – Inspirations: One of my inspirations for the character of Ulannium is George Smiley from John le Carré’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. When he does finally confront someone, whether an enemy or even an ally whom he’s trying to persuade, he brings the full force of his intellect to bare on them, and people often find it as overpowering as a force of nature. Ulannium is remarkably proficient at understanding and analyzing most of the people he encounters, including some who others find enigmatic. (Such is the case with Corellan Halcyon. Ulannium understands the Hero of Tython far better than someone like Satele Shan, at least earlier in the story.) On the flip side, a select few people are something of a mystery to Ulannium, and throw him off entirely. (This was the case with Zenith.) Another character who inspired me was Vaegon Targaryen, a minor character from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. He could have done a hundred things, including becoming the King. He preferred his books, however.  

Fact Three – Growing up on Uphrades: To avoid potential contact with his family on Coruscant, the Jedi sent Ulannium to their small enclave on the agricultural world of Uphrades. It was a small training cadre; two semi-retired Jedi Masters and eight younglings. To discourage unhealthy attachments amongst the younglings, they were arranged on a tiered-age system. The oldest of the younglings would be around fourteen and would be considered on the precipice of their initiate trials to become Padawans. The next-oldest would be a year or two younger than the eldest, and so on down the line until the youngest child, who would be around four or five. With the age difference, it was hoped that the younglings would be less likely to adopt detrimental attachments to each other.

Fact Four – First Friendship: Two years after Ulannium arrived on Uphrades, the next youngling was sent. The younger child seemed untalented and almost Force-blind to Ulannium, who by then was already demonstrating an impressive sensitivity to the Force. But as the Masters were unwilling to give up on him yet, when he turned six, he was handed a training saber. Within a week, he had surpassed every other youngling in combat, even those twice his age. Within a year, no two initiates could match him. Even Master Sagottoh, once a Blademaster of the Order in his younger years, soon found himself pressed. This youngling - one age tier below Ulannium - was named Corellan Halcyon. When they first met, Ulannium himself thought the youngling was untalented and barely worth his notice. Later, when his martial capability manifested, Nowan Ko Detizu realized that Corellan needed Ulannium’s help to acclimate to the other children, most of whom were intimidated by the young firebrand. The bond the two developed would last them the rest of their lives. In recognition of this reality and her responsibilities, when Ulannium was ready to become a padawan, Nowan Ko’s report to the council would advise them not to assign the two to work together, which is why they were kept separated for the next eight years. Although they were both disappointed, both would ultimately conclude it had been the right thing to do.

Fact Five – Tragedy: When the Sack of Coruscant took place, Ulannium was still far away on Uphrades, reading a text on archaeology. He recalls feeling a deep sense of foreboding in the pit of his stomach, but as he was unable to determine what it was, he soon resumed reading. A few days later once the reports had come in, the Uphrades Masters regretfully informed him that his family had been killed during the attack when falling debris had collapsed on them on the street. The youngling showed little reaction at first, then finally announced his intention to head off to find solitude to meditate. The masters, decided that he needed time to process what had happened, let him. Corellan, recognizing that he needed friendship, pursued him and talked. [I may write about that encounter someday.]

Fact Six – Personality: One of Ulannium’s personality quirks is his tendency to answer a question with a question. This is sometimes a defensive mechanism, and sometimes simply a way to get an individual to rethink their position diplomatically. In the normal flow of conversation, he does this skillfully enough that people rarely even notice. He picked up this particular quirk from Master Nowan Ko Detizu, one of his mentors back on Uphrades. The Cathar Jedi taught him a multitude of simple techniques that aid him in his day-to-day life as a Jedi, diplomat and sometime political and military leader.

Fact Seven – Traits: By the time the class stories begin, Ulannium is already an expert in the fields of biology, archaeology, geology and history, and could probably have earned a master’s degree in any of those areas if given the time and inclination to do so. Although he was appropriately honored to meet the esteemed members of the Jedi Council, he was most excited to meet Gnost-Dural, as the Kel Dor had, by then, been named the Keeper of the Jedi Archives. Ulannium definitely has a strong interest – some might even say a passion – for ancient Force knowledge and would live in the Jedi Archives if he could. One of the most difficult decisions he ever faced was rescuing Laria Taphoni on Taris, effectively sacrificing the holocron the expedition team had found. In making his choice, Ulannium was guided by the principles of the Jedi code and recognizes that it was the correct decision, but nevertheless he had to meditate for a long while to process everything that happened. Although he recognizes that Rajivari’s teachings ran contrary to the Jedi code and had corrupted many ancient Jedi, Ulannium never quite forgot what he had learned of it. He wishes he had spent more time with the fallen Je'daii Master to learn where things had gone wrong.

Fact Eight – His Relationship with Nadia Grell: Ulannium doesn’t believe in concepts like “love at first sight”. But when he met Nadia, he generally became more protective of her innocence. Eventually, those feelings evolved into romantic impulses, but even in their early days together, he was somewhat distracted. That was one of the reasons he didn’t immediately pick up on Nadia’s force-sensitivity, which he would have normally understood right from the get-go. As a side note, his relationship with Nadia develops very differently in my story than in the game and does not progress until after she is Knighted almost three years after becoming his Padawan. As a fluffy note, To date, Nadia is the only person who has ever called him “Uli”. She’s usually discreet about the practice, but she did actually let it slip in front of Felix Iresso on one occasion. Ulannium was embarrassed, Nadia was aghast, and Felix was amused.

Fact Nine – Joining the Alliance: After Ulannium and the rest of the Ossus colony rejoined the rest of the galaxy (lining up with the Jedi Under Siege expansion from the canon story), he and Nadia became honorary members of the Eternal Alliance, with Ulannium serving as the Alliance’s liaison with the Council. The Council - when it eventually reformed - did not formally condone or condemn this relationship; they simply pretended that they didn’t know it existed, despite it becoming common knowledge by that point. [Note: This mirrors Revan’s post-KOTOR relationship with Bastilla in the “Revan” novel.] Far from being past his prime after joining the Eternal Alliance, Ulannium achieved some of the most impressive efforts of his career as the Alliance’s top diplomatic negotiator, writing much of the treaty that Corellan and the Alliance would eventually sign with the Galactic Republic. But arguably the most impressive feat of his career was the negotiation of the Treaty of Alderaan, a pact that ended nearly twenty years of civil war and internal discord. Leading the Alliance’s diplomatic corps, one of Ulannium’s top deputies would be the Killik Joiner and former Imperial diplomat and Intelligence operative, Vector Hyllus. Ulannium learned a great deal of respect for Hyllus and his capabilities, which was reciprocated by the Joiner.

Fact Ten - His Legacy: Some years joining the Alliance, he and Nadia had their first child: Maykia Ishris Kaarz. She is named for both of her grandmothers; Maykia on Nadia’s side and Ishris on Ulannium’s. She’s a couple of years younger than Bela and Tasiele, who are friends of hers who I’ve spoken about elsewhere. Her childhood was complicated to say the least, but she eventually fully joined the Jedi order on her own terms as she began adulthood. She wields a double-bladed lightsaber as her mother did, albeit she’s not a true Jedi Shadow. [Note: Maykia is part of the “Future Halcyon Legacy” I’ve been putting together. ]

Thousands of years later, Teela Kaarz, one of Ulannium’s descendants, would be conscripted to work on the construction of the Death Star. Teela and a group of Rebel recruits fled the doomed space station before it exploded. [Novel: Death Star ]

Thank you for reading!

[whitejays-galaxy]

Designing the entire disaster lineage as cats🐱(Reupload)

I accidentally made some design errors, so I had to redo them... To make up for my mistake, there's a small surprise in the end ^^

The disaster lineage:

This is their actual size chart

My favorite trio:

Dooky and Quiggs becuz they deserve more love:

Ref sheets:

Horizonstar/step(Yoda): 

Name Meaning:

"Horizon" carried the meaning of him being the leader of his clan, a beacon of light in the distance, "Step" meant he was always one step ahead of his clanmates, thus using his knowledge and power to help his cats.

Frostshard(Dooku): 

Name Meaning:

I chose "Frost" because of his cold, collected, haughty demeanor, and "Shard", his presence being able to hurt others, like when you touch a broken shard of glass. It also represents his sharpness.

Sagepelt(Qui-Gon-Jinn):

Name Meaning:

"Sage" symbolizes his wisdom of the living Force, spiritual sanctity, vice, and virtue, which some knights thought he was delusional, while others respected his high moral standards.

If you look at a sage plant, the leaves are fuzzy, and they often grow in large swishing bushels, hence the suffix "Pelt"

Hazeldusk(Obi-Wan-Kenobi):

Pls ignore his traumatized face

Anyway

Name Meaning:

I chose "Hazel" because of his pelt color and warm/comforting personality. "Dusk" has a deeper meaning; Hazel trains Skyfire, who turns to the dark side and brings Dawnclan's legacy to an end; therefore, Hazel teaches the one who brought the "Dusk" of Dawnclan's era.

Skyfire(Anakin Skywalker): 

Name Meaning:

I chose "Sky" because of his godlike abilities, for in many countries and religions, the sky was where the gods lived, "Fire" because of him being ferocious yet warm/loving like a small bit of flame in a hearth. It also foreshadows how he would fall, consumed into flames.

Tawnyrain(Ahsoka-Tano):

Name Meaning:

I chose "Tawny" because of her pelt color, and "Rain", symbolizes her abandoning the teachings of Dawnclan when she goes into exile, like the rain washing over dust and grime, the corruption of Dawnclan ways, coated over her innocence and pure heart. 

Long yap incoming...

<Lore>

<Dawnclan/ The Jedi Order>

Dawnclan was created over a thousand years ago by four Force-sensitive cats: Sunspirit(Cala Brin), Tigerblaze(Rajivari), Valorsoul(Garon Jard), and Eclipseshadow(Ters Sendon). 

"True justice cannot be driven by emotion. We knights can set our passions aside, and seek the truth without fear or favor." - Sunspirit

"When Dawnclan's order began, I saw we must be dedicated to peace. To calm our emotions, and end war across the galaxy. If we fought, it should only be in self-defense. That is the founding principle of civilization." - Valorsoul

"So much is fleeting. But I remain. And I remain the cat I was." - Tigerblaze

"I am Eclipseshadow, keeper of the histories. A founder, and chronicler, of Dawnclan." - Eclipseshadow

<About Dawnclan>

-They walk the dreams of their ancestors in Starclan, a clan created by the light side of the Force.

-A Force-Sensitive kit is taken to the temple at a very young age, training in the basic forms of dueling.

-Padawans(apprentices) train for approximately two years with their assigned Master, the names usually ending with a 'Paw'(a universal suffix meaning apprentice or student)

-Knights must at least have trained an apprentice before they can be selected for the Dawnclan Council, a group of the most talented cats.

-A Dawnclan knight is forbidden to take a mate or have kits.

<The Dawnclan Code>

There is no Emotion, there is Peace

There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge

There is no Passion, there is Serenity

There is no Chaos, there is Harmony

There is no Death, there is the Force

<Darkhaven/ The Sith Order>

It is hard to know the birth of Darkhaven, yet one thing is for sure, evil has lurked since no beginning nor end.

The official name of these dark warriors was created by Hellfire, a soulless she-cat whom many say was the embodiment of evil itself.

The Fate Wars, the first great war in the Galaxy, led to the victory of the knights of Dawnclan, who built their main camp on the ruins of Darkhaven.

After the events of the Fate Wars, two more happened during the history of the Galaxy: 

The first was the Cold War: in which former Darkhavener Corvidheart(Darth Revan) challenged the Emperor Vortexvoid(Emperor Vitalle) to reclaim balance on both sides.

The second was the Grey Wars: Darkhaven leader Stormcutter(Darth Malgus) brought the Dawnclan order to its knees and took over for a long time. This caused a rebellion act against the Darkhaven Empire by normal citizens, and as a result, the Republic was born - an invisible group that consisted of various clans and tribes to discuss peace and to help each other in crisis.

Many years passed after the Grey Wars, and one by one, the warriors of Darkhaven were hunted down by the knights of Dawnclan.

Nightshade(Darth Bane), the last known leader of Darkhaven, and the maker of the Rule of Two, swore revenge. They will always lurk in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike. 

Her apprentice Plagueshadow(Darth Plagueis) continued her work in silence, training the dreaded Lightningstrike(Darth Sidious), who would create the most feared and powerful Darkhavener of all time: Lord Deadsoul(Darth Vader)

<About Darkhaveners>

When a Dawnclan knight falls to the Dark side, their features grow haughty and sharp because of the Dark Forest water.

Only Darkhaveners have orange eyes.

They usually have red crystals on their foreheads but in rare circumstances, purple or black could be seen also.

They communicate with the Dark Forest, an everlasting place of the Dark side of the Force, with murky water and wizened trees.

They have the Rule of Two, only allowing a Master and an Apprentice to live.

<The Darkhaven Code>

Peace is a lie, there is only Passion

Through Passion, I gain Strength

Through Strength, I gain Power

Through Power, I gain Victory

Through Victory, My Chains Are Broken

The Force shall set me Free

About Kyberclaws:

They glow red hot at the tip when unsheathed at battle mode. But they can't use them for long, or the heat would kill them(Yoda/Horizonstar has a record of using them for a full thirty minutes)

They are functioned by the Kyber Crystals on their foreheads and could cut through anything except Beskar Wood( a tree known for its silvery wood and toughness, used by the Mandalorian cats)

A Dawnclan cat develops this ability once they are 6 moons old, as their bodies mature enough to withstand the claw tip's deadly heat.

About crystals on foreheads:

The Crystals are the main source of the Kyberclaw's power, and when forcefully taken, it would cripple the owner for eternity(like a bird without wings)

When a Dawnclan cat dies, the Crystals turn a dead-looking grey, devoid of all power.

About Droids in the Au:

They are animals that are neither living nor dead(such as rats, foxes, shrews, badgers...etc)

Their commander controls them with the Smoke Crystals(used like comlinks)

About Starships in the Au: 

They are huge birds of prey tamed by the cats.

Alright... the surprise... I'm actually astonished you scrolled all the way down here.

Cuddle Pile!!!

This is one of my oldest Aus that I'm working on; it's a mix of my two favorite fandoms: StarWars and Warriors(cats)

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this👍

[david-talks-sw]

What are your thoughts on the je'daii? Do they even work, like I find myself irritated by the concept because people often use them to validate/prove the notion that "balance = both sides of the Force"

If you stick to what George Lucas said, in Star Wars a person being "balanced" is someone who accepts their inner darkness and resists its pull nonetheless.

When fans mention the Je'daii, it's usually in the context of:

"The Jedi downgraded from the Je'daii, limited their studies of the Force, refusing to study the Dark Side was a mistake. It was an original sin that caused them to create an imbalance within them."

Which is weird, to me, because the whole point of the comic's narrative is that:

the Je’daii Order’s way was doomed to fail.

Introduced in the Legends comic series Dawn of the Jedi (2012), the Je'daii are the predecessors of the Jedi. They are an order of Force users who studied and practiced both the Light Side and the Dark Side in hopes of finding Balance.

The reasoning is simple: everyone has a bit of good and bad in them, you learn to master the good and the bad sides inside of you, indulging them equally. But while this method seems sound on paper… it didn't work.

Consider that they’re already dabbling with the Dark Side...

... but hey, at least they’re aware of its dangers, they’re trying to be responsible about it.

There's a support system where they all warn each other when they're about to cross a line. But even then, there's many who've fallen and been exiled to a moon, to be rehabilitated.

Suddenly, circumstances compel all of them to use the Forcesaber, a weapon that only activates when you draw on the Dark Side.

And that does something to them. Over the course of a year, they all become increasingly aggressive.

Soon, a faction breaks off because they no longer want to stop using the Forcesaber. They’re addicted to the Dark Side.

A war ensues, at the end of which the Jedi Order is born, a group of Force users who:

acknowledge and accept their inner darkness,

while also striving to overcome it rather than give it power.

So that’s the moral of the whole Je’daii story.

Their idea of "Balance by wielding both" was actually so fragile and difficult to maintain that all it took was a little push for them to become vulnerable to the Dark Side's temptation.

Hell, even after the Jedi Order was established, one of its founders, Master Rajivari - who in Dawn of the Jedi (2012) is framed as a wise ex-general who, albeit strict, spends his days meditating and philosophizing - he goes to the Dark Side too! 

Because that's how the Dark Side works.

The Dark Side isn’t just "negative feelings" or a "bad guy superpower" that you can mix with a "good guy superpower" to unleash the ultimate 'Force blast'. This isn’t an anime.

The Dark Side is a drugs/smoking/drinking addiction.

It's selfish, temporary pleasure. The more you consume it...

... the more you get addicted...

... and the more it consumes you right back...

... until nothing remains.

Jon Ostrander, who wrote Dawn of the Jedi (2012), echoed this sentiment multiple times:

“As I see it, those working on the light side work with the Force, channeling it, open and sensitive to what it tells them. They serve it. Those on the dark side try to impose their will on the Force, to make it do their will, to make it serve them. The Je’daii believe in a balance between the light and the dark side and so attempt to use both. Problem is, a balance is hard to maintain and the dark side is so very seductive.” - John Ostrander, LA Times, 2012

“The Je'daii aren't light side or dark side, although they know and are aware of both. Instead they seek a balance in the Force between light and dark. Balance, however, is a difficult thing to maintain and there is always the danger of falling wholly to the dark side — and some Je'daii have done so.” - John Ostrander, Newsarama, 2012

And this is a recurring theme throughout all of Ostrander’s comics, by the way. Be it with the Je’daii, but also with Quinlan Vos or Cade Skywalker, the point remains the same: 

"Yes, wielding the Dark Side gives you great power, and you get to show off some badass new tricks...

… but it ultimately destroys you and everyone around you."

Remember: if it weren’t for Cade or Quin’s loved ones, neither of them would have come back from the Dark Side. They aren't badasses because they can use Force Lightning, they're badasses because they found the strength to give that up.

So if you genuinely think the Jedi "downgraded" by refusing to give the Dark Side more power than it already has on them... you're missing the point.

“It’s not about ripping things out of the sky using the Force or Force Lightning. A lot of people, they think “oh look how powerful Vader is, look how powerful the Emperor is, I want to play be the bad guy because I get these powers”. It’s an empty feeling, at the end of the day, after the moment. [...] The Dark Side is a spiral downward that you’re trapped in.” - Dave Filoni, “Force of Rebellion”, 2018

It was an upgrade.

Framing "balance" as "equal Dark and Light Side" is like consuming one (1) salad a day and one (1) whole bottle of vodka and calling that "balanced". No, buddy, that'll kill you. Because:

The vodka is better at being destructive than the salad is at making you healthy.

It's won't stay just one bottle per day. It'll eventually become two, three, etc.

Because as George Lucas stated time and again, resisting the Dark Side is a constant struggle.

So that's my two cents.

You've probably already heard about the recent announcement of a Dawn of the Jedi feature film, a biblical epic that will be directed by James Mangold.

And truth be told... it scares me SO much that we came THIS close to an Episode IX: Duel of the Fates that framed "balance" as - you guessed it - giving equal power to your light and darkness.

Like, how did this ⬆️ get as far as it did? Did nobody think to sit Colin Trevorrow down and explain to him that he fundamentally misunderstands how the Force works?

So all I can do is cross my fingers and hope James Mangold has a better grasp of - if not the lore (I wouldn't be surprised if the words "Je'daii" or "Tython" aren't uttered once in the film) - at least the message.

[relevant-url-incoming]

It's actually so fun playing through a consular when you decide your character is unusually young because the energy of the Jedi council members being like "Yuon why exactly are you saying this Padawan should go find rajivari's shit" changes dramatically. Like my teenaged consular is of course like "why are they so mean to me I can obviously handle this" but it feels much less "we doubt you" and much more "you are too young and inexperienced for this??? Why are we doing this???"

[shabre-legacy]

I am not ok with the Dawn of the Jedi movie. There's lots of area to play with the Jedi. But Disney WILL GET THE FOUNDING OF THE JEDI ORDER COMPLETELY WRONG AND MISS EVERYTHING IMPORTANT ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT AND THEY PROBABLY WON'T EVEN INCLUDE TYTHON OR DAI BENDU OR THE JE'DAI AND THE TRANSITION TO JEDI AND RAJIVARI AND ALL THE ACTUAL DETAILS THAT MATTER.

DISNEY NEEDS TO STAY AWAY FROM THAT

[rikki-roses]

Forgot to cross-post chapter 7 here, but chapter 8 is up.

Excerpt:

Setra rubbed her eyes as her vision started to go blurry. It was another late night trying to crack the mystery of the Fount of Rajivari and its location. Setra sat bent over one table, fiddling with Rajivari’s holoprojector, while Yuon worked away at another table. Setra half-listened as the holoprojector continued its loop, talking about the mysterious sanctum that supposedly housed the Fount.

Sanctum.

Wait.

There were ancient ruins over at Kaleth; scholars had been studying it for decades. Setra had been itching to go, with promises from Yuon that she would be able to once their current project was done.

Kaleth meant sanctum in one of the old languages.

Setra straightened up, reaching for a map. Once she found what she needed, she got up and hurried toward Yuon. She placed the map down on the table that Yuon was working at, pointing to Kaleth.

“Master, I think I might have found something. What if the Fount has been under our noses the whole time? Maybe there are clues at Kaleth?”

Yuon’s eyebrows shot up as she studied the map for a moment. A wide grin spread across her face.

“M dear Padawan, I do believe you are on to something. Kaleth, of course! Kaleth was destroyed many years ago in a great battle; droids still sweep the ruins there. The first blade that Rajivari mentions is still a puzzle, however.”

Setra chewed on her bottom lip in thought. “A lightsaber, maybe? Or at least some form of armory.”

Yuon rubbed her chin. “Lightsabers hadn’t been invented yet, but other weapons have been discovered in one portion of the ruins. It’s a good place to begin, either way.”

Yuon then sighed and gave Setra an apologetic look. “I am sorry, Setra. I planned your training so carefully. But the Force has intervened; finding the Fount of Rajivari and stopping Nalen must be a greater test.”

Setra gave Yuon an inquisitive look in return. “Are you saying the Force is guiding me, Master?”

Yuon nodded in response. “Yes. Sometimes the Force, not the Master, shapes a Padawan’s trials. This seems to be such a time. You should know, however, that the Council tends to disapprove of such training, but I’ll explain everything. For now, go focus on exploring Kaleth for this “first blade.” Call me on your holocomm at once if you have any success.”

They talked for a few moments more as Setra collected the holoprojector and some maps of Kaleth. Bidding farewell to her master, she then went back to her quarters to pack for the trip to Kaleth; she wasn’t sure how much time it would take to explore the ruins. She also made the decision to bring Paws with her – she didn’t want to leave him alone for long, and she didn’t want to risk Master Yuon discovering him while she was away. Paws fought with her for a few minutes as she got his harness onto him; he still did not like the harness, but Setra needed to get him used to it in the event she needed to leash him.

Lots of treats and pets later, Paws firmly in his harness and leash in her satchel, Setra and Paws exited through her window. She opted to bring both her satchel and her pack in case she needed to make a proper camp at the ruins. She had managed to borrow a speeder with a small side-car, which she got Paws settled into (with lots of treats and a chew toy to distract him, of course). While she preferred to walk as opposed to speeders, the ruins were farther away than she could walk in a reasonable time frame, and for once Setra needed to be mindful of time.

Even with the speeder, it was still after dark by the time Setra got to Kaleth. Several tired scholars greeted her, directing her towards a clearing where she could leave her speeder and make camp. Making camp didn’t take long; she opted to eschew a tent and sleep under the stars. Paws, for his part, immediately curled up on Setra’s bedroll; it had been a long day. Setra pushed him aside so she could lie down, only for Paws to promptly sprawl out on top of her. They were both asleep in seconds.

[star-wars-comics]

Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi: Prisoner of Bogan #1 (2012)

written by John Ostrander art by Jan Duursema, Dan Parsons, Wes Dzioba

[bloodilymerry]

Where Shae Befriends Space Whales

[sith-shenanigans]

🤔

[mysterious-cuchulainn-x]

A Voice in the Wilderness

At first, Talryn thought she must have been seeing an illusion, a mirage of the desert if not an outright fabrication of her brain. But there was nothing illusory in the darkness that roiled around the tall, lean, dark-robed figure trudging slowly across the burning sands.

"Be ready," she warned her companions, quietly, though she did not yet draw her saber; whatever the odds against it, she hoped this encounter would not come to a fight. Cedrax was already struggling with the heat and the suns (and whatever he needed,it was neither heat stroke nor moral wounding), and as strong as Qyzen was, she did not want him tested against the dark behemoth that shadowed the encroaching Sith.

"Jedi," the interloper announced, his tone peremptory but lacking the condescension it sounded like it should have held, "I take it you're hunting the source of this... insane technology as well?"

Despite the grating quality of his voice, beneath the surface he seemed oddly calm, almost friendly; something in the details of his masked visage and open approach reminded her of Rajivari's echo, at the end, and she nearly—nearly—dropped her guard. Did not, because Vivicar, too, had proven himself a master of deception, and Master Yuon and the others could not afford for her to fail or falter now.

"We received word from a Czerka defector of dangerous artifacts," she admitted warily, uncertain what the Sith might know and what she might use to stave off violence, if only for a time. "The corporation has... reacted poorly to our containment efforts."

"Unfortunate," the Sith murmured, and Talryn tensed, but he continued, "the Reclamation Service found samples, as well. One escaped containment and nearly destroyed this entire planet—perhaps more. I doubt Czerka will be more cautious. We should join forces."

There was something odd, almost anticipatory, in the suggestion, and Talryn nearly rejected the proposal out of hand. But if the 'Rakatan' technology was as dangerous as it appeared, they did not have the time to argue.

Time for caution, however, was another matter.

"How do I know," she frowned, " that you won't simply use my aid to seize these artifacts for yourself?"

She expected him to react poorly, but although she sensed some trace of discontent—he was, on the whole, remarkably stoic, considering the nature of his power—his only outward response was calm and matter-of-fact.

"You will have to trust me, I imagine, as I will have to trust you. Though if my masters were the liars I took them for," he added, an odd humor creeping into his voice, "I suppose that will be far easier for me than you. Still, I promise this: I have no interest in claiming any weapon for the Empire. And this... no one can claim this technology. It must be destroyed, and swiftly."

Talryn felt herself taken aback by his sincerity, plain and sudden as it was—enough to remain suspicious, even as she admitted that he had a point. Akhaira, alas, had already left for Alderaan, and so Talryn made the only choice she could.

"Very well. I am Talryn Starlighter," she bowed shallowly, keeping well out of arm's reach. "These are my allies, Doctor Tharan Cedrax and Qyzen Fess."

"Miraathis Kallig," the Sith returned, although he did not bow. "My dashade, Khem Val, and my... associate, Andronikos Revel. Shall we?"

Talryn nodded, gesturing for Tharan to approach the half-buried spire as she kept a watchful eye on their new comrades. The word the Sith—Kallig—had used for his behemoth flickered warningly at the edge of her mind, but Kallig himself gave no sign of irritation at her caution. Perhaps, she dared to hope, perhaps this brief alliance might work out after all.

[reliciron]

Master Rajivari: If the hilt of the first blade has been returned, we succeeded, and the future follows the path we left.

I'm still not sure how to take this.

The hilt WAS returned, but by all accounts Rajivari failed to kill the council and his apprentices died. Did he alter the course of the Jedi Order some other way? By attacking them did he cause them to rethink some of their stances, maybe spurred more interest in martial power?

I assume when you talk to Syo just before you leave Tython, and he talks about some of Rajivari's claims bearing investigation, he means this.

[powerofvoid]

Nalen Raloch: "We hunt the Flesh Raiders to extinction, and laugh! Rajivari showed me how to punish them."

Nalen Raloch: "We make Tython ours! No Jedi. No Republic. Our world to plow, and harvest, and defend!"

Don't ever forget that Nalen Raloch is a genocidal villain.

Rajivari merely egged him on and enabled him, up until he realized that the leopard was going to turn around and eat his face.

[david-talks-sw]

favorite Star Wars characters?

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Dooku

Quinlan Vos

After those three, in no particular order...

Rael Averross

Canon Post-ROTJ Luke Skywalker

Yoda

Shaak Ti

Porter Engle

Rajivari

Darth Krayt

Darth Sidious

Tag & Bink

Mace Windu

The Shogun

Canon Post-TPM Maul

Geezer Odajion

Dexxter Jettster

Legends Grievous

Legends Darth Plagueis

[relevant-url-incoming]

Soft Things

surprising no one who's been watching my descent into madness here is a snippet about Caibos the jedi consular, exploring him from Qyzen's perspective. this is the first time I've done anything trying to capture Qyzen's voice so whoo! expanding my horizons.

Yuon’s new padawan was small and soft, as expected, but he was a very different kind of soft thing. Qyzen did not comment on the fact that this padawan was a Sith; he knew of the Jedi’s discomfort with species that typically existed outside their structure. It was not wise or helpful to add to the padawan’s strife.

He spoke in a slow, measured way, more careful than most young padawans encountering Qyzen for the first time. If he felt curiosity, he hid it well. Qyzen suspected he had met Trandoshans before, until he asked about Jagganath points. This was a more usual conversation: all padawans brave enough to speak to Qyzen here on Tython had been confused by the hunt. Jedi should have been natural hunters, but so few of them were. This one would be no different.

As Qyzen assisted Yuon and her padawan Caibos, he found that Caibos was careful in almost all ways. He did not shy from suggestion of duty or a hunt, but he let his master take the lead, wisely looking to her experience. Qyzen suspected this was one of those rare padawans who came to the Jedi after much life experience had already passed – not a child raised among them, but a traveller looking to a new way of life for peace. His scars bore this theory out.

Qyzen did not expect his hunt to become so intertwined with Caibos’, but the Scorekeeper’s desires were clear. Caibos had a warrior’s way about him, too. There was too much mercy, when he faced his enemy, but that was the way of the Jedi; he had respect for his prey, and he fought honourably. It was clear this honour mattered to him, too.

“I would have taken on that sacrifice,” Caibos had informed Qyzen as they passed the first of Rajivari’s tests. “If I thought for a moment it was real. I only thought – well, it seemed suspicious after what the clues said.”

Qyzen had not spoken, as he had not been sure at the time if this was a truth. He made his decision later, when Caibos knelt before a wounded enemy and insisted on attempting to heal them, even knowing of the traps and lies this place held for them. As the wounded figure vanished and Caibos doubled over, wracked with pain, the padawan let out a gasping laugh.

“I suppose I should have known better,” he said as he straightened. He moved slowly, wincing. The prey’s wounds were his, now. “I thought it was better to be wrong in this case than to be wrong and walk past.”

“Was a good thing,” Qyzen rumbled. Caibos looked up at him, wearing a wide-eyed expression that surprised Qyzen. Then he wheezed, and when he looked at Qyzen again the serious intensity had returned.

“Thank you,” he said. “There may be more tests, Qyzen. We should be careful.”

Even in visible pain, Caibos moved ahead of Qyzen. After Qyzen’s capture, he could not blame the padawan, but he did wish the padawan could trust easier in Qyzen’s skills. To have a soft thing so obviously defending him was shame.

---

The Scorekeeper’s Herald was going to Coruscant, so Qyzen was as well. He would have gone anyway. Yuon needed what Qyzen could give her. He could only hope she did not need more.

On the shuttle to the fleet, Caibos received a call. He shifted around to answer it, shielding the caller from Qyzen’s eyes.

“I was looking for you,” said the woman calling. Qyzen did not intend to listen, but he could hear.

“I’ve been a little busy,” Caibos said. His voice sounded strange. Serenity gone, replaced by earnestness. He had not even sounded like this with Yuon. “What’s wrong? Do you need me? I can come back –“

“Come back?”

If Qyzen had been trying to avoid listening, there was no way to do so now. Caibos seemed to believe this as well, settling back into his seat and letting Qyzen see the profile of the Twi’lek on the other end.

“Yes, Callie,” said Caibos. “I have to go to Coruscant. My master is sick.”

“Your master,” she repeated. “So that was a rumour.”

“What was?”

“One of the other padawans was saying you’d been knighted,” said Callie. To Qyzen’s surprise, Caibos slunk low in his seat like an embarrassed child.

“I was,” he said.

“What?”

“You could at least pretend you’re proud of me.”

“You are fifteen! What was your master thinking? Didn’t the council have anything to say about this? I know the Flesh Raider stuff has everyone busy, but knighting a child –“

“I’m not a child!”

Qyzen looked away from the display. The woman’s displeasure was reasonable, as she would not know Caibos was the Scorekeeper’s Herald. Qyzen could admit, though he trusted the Scorekeeper, he had misgivings now. Caibos must be capable, or he would not be granted these quests, but destinies of this calibre could poison a young soul. Qyzen would need to be vigilant on Caibos’ behalf.

A soft thing, indeed.

[diazuk-legacy]

Diazuk Diary: Day 276: Jasewate Hunter 

Part two on being a Jedi Jasewate Hunter finds the Fount of Rajivari. Builds a new lightsaber and kills the fallen Twi'lek. With his trial completed he was about to be knighted until his master fell ill.

[disaster-bi-shan]

Silanu: Master Rajivari, you’ve held onto this existence for thousands of years. Perhaps it’s time for it to end.

Rajivari: Ah, child. You only see what the Jedi are. But I saw what could have been.

Silanu: Those ideas drove you to betray the Council, your friends. And what about your apprentices?

Rajivari: My…. apprentices. Yes. Cahel – always wiser than his age. And Vadria, and Orth. [You speak of things I had long put aside.]

Silanu: If our future is to be worthwhile, we Jedi must find it ourselves. You know this.

Rajivari: [...]You must succeed. You are proof that the Jedi did not lose their way after all. [Please. Stop [Nalen]. Correct my last mistake.]